Through Rebecca's Eyes
by gentleness28
Summary: CH.10 UP! I LIVE! Rebecca's story from when she joins Eliwood's group hopefully all the way to the end. Not a journal. RebeccaWil, and some other couples I'm too lazy to name...XD
1. Beginnings

Disclaimer: I almost forgot about putting one of these in. I don't own any of these characters, except maybe Rebecca's mom. The company that made Fire Emblem owns them. Boo...now onto the story.  
  
She could hear swords and axes clashing. She thought she was dreaming, like always, about exciting battles. She could feel herself waking up, but the sounds didn't decrease in volume. If anything, they increased. Suddenly her eyes shot open. Was that someone screaming?  
  
"Rebecca!" Her mother came rushing into the room, her emerald hair waving wildly around her face.  
  
"What! Mother? What's happening?! Where's father? Are we being attacked? I can fight! I will fight!" This was her chance to prove that she could do anything her father could.  
  
Rebecca jumped out of bed, and stood as straight and tall as she could, ready for action, in her—  
  
"Nightgown? Honey, you can do better than that." Her mother almost smiled, but was reminded of the gravity of their situation when a servingwoman ran into the room.  
  
"Lady, you must come with me. Your husband doesn't want you to be in danger. You too little lady." Rebecca inwardly cringed at being called 'little', but fate was not done with them yet.  
  
A young man with a jumble of pale blue hair and dressed in a soldiers' garb came rushing into the room, along with a young woman in a green traveler's cloak.  
  
The man started to address the people in the room. Then he noticed—or seemed to notice, Rebecca couldn't tell because his eyes were covered by his mass of hair—that the magistrate, Rebecca's father, wasn't in the room, and Rebecca was in her nightgown.  
  
The young man turned beet red and started sputtering apologetic babble, of which Rebecca could only decipher two words—"sorry" and "um". The young woman, who seemed comfortable in taking control, shook her head in exasperation and said—  
  
"I told you to go to the first door on the RIGHT. Come on." With that, she apologized for the intrusion and led the young man out.  
  
The servingwoman was the first to snap out of her shock.  
  
"Hurry ladies! Let's go now!"  
  
"No! I can fight!" cried Rebecca, her green eyes pleading and innocent, and yet filled with a fighting spirit. She didn't even wait for an answer while getting her hunting gear out to fight with.  
  
When Rebecca finished getting ready, she looked straight into her mother's deep eyes and said, "Don't you dare try to stop me." Her mother's eyes filled with tears, but they were tears of pride and joy, not of sadness.  
  
"I won't stop you my dear. You've made me proud to be your mother. You can go and fight on one condition."  
  
"What's that mother?"  
  
"You bring that bow and arrow back safely." Rebecca laughed and hugged her mother.  
  
"I will!" she cried as she ran out of the door and straight into the same young man from before.  
  
Before he could apologize profusely (again), Rebecca asked if he knew the people fighting outside. He looked startled that she would ask such a question, but then he seemed to notice her bow and arrows.  
  
"Would you like to help us?" he asked.  
  
Rebecca nodded vigorously.  
  
The young man smiled and said, "I'm Lowen, and this is also someone who will be helping us." He waved the young woman forward.  
  
"I'm Krista. Nice to meet you. Now let's go kick some...well you know." Rebecca smiled. She liked Krista's attitude. Amidst all the happiness, Lowen was getting agitated.  
  
"Lowen? What's the matter?" asked Rebecca.  
  
"Now I'm REALLY late, and Marcus is going to kill me!" he whined, "Hurry! Come on!"  
  
Krista rolled her eyes, and Rebecca giggled.  
  
"I said HURRY!" cried Lowen, "Get on my horse you two. You're both small enough." Both Krista and Rebecca cringed at being called 'small'. That set them into fits of laughter as they clambered onto Lowen's horse.  
  
Lowen probably rolled his eyes as he sighed, "Girls are so strange..." and made his horse start trotting.  
  
Riding on horseback was so exhilarating! It was like running in fast- forward, decided Rebecca as they zipped past plains and trees...and burnt houses. Her eyes glittered as her resolve to fight burned anew within her more fiercely than before.  
  
I will get the beast that did this.  
  
Rebecca felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Krista's.  
  
"You OK?"  
  
"...Yeah...I will be after the beast that did this..."  
  
"I understand. You're still wanting to fight?" Rebecca nodded grimly.  
  
"Yes. I—"  
  
"Whoa!"  
  
"Aaah! Ow..." Lowen had suddenly stopped his horse when the people he was supposed to meet had come into view. Rebecca, unaware that he was going to stop so fast, had been thrown off of the saddle and landed (not very gracefully) on the ground.  
  
Rebecca saw stars. Such bright little stars. They kept getting brighter and brighter. I'm not dying am I? She thought. No, she couldn't be dying. People felt light and happy (supposedly) before they died, and she didn't feel that way. But why did those stars have a face attached to them. She was thoroughly confused now. It was such a handsome face—the face of an angel with concerned blue eyes.  
  
As Rebecca came back steadily from semi-consciousness, she realized that her "stars" were not really stars. They were just this red-haired noble's gold circlet glinting in the sunlight. She also came to realize that his mouth kept opening and closing with sounds emerging...like he was trying to talk to her. Or was she still too out-of-it from her fall? She could hear him if she listened hard enough.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Uh...uh..." Why wasn't her mouth working? Maybe that fall was harder than she thought.  
  
"Eliwood," said a man who Rebecca didn't know, "We cannot waste any more time. The brigands—"  
  
THAT word knocked Rebecca back into her senses. Brigands. She would fight them all and make them leave her home. Forever.  
  
Rebecca struggled to get up. This task was made harder by Lowen fervently pleading for forgiveness (yet again). When she finally did manage to get up—with Krista's and Eliwood's help—she turned to face Eliwood's companion who had spoken of the bandits earlier.  
  
"I would like to offer my services to your company."  
  
"I'm not so sure that you should. What do you think Eliwood?" asked the man.  
  
"Well Marcus, she took a nasty blow from her fall, and the battlefield is no place for a girl—"  
  
Krista interrupted Eliwood with an indignant "humph" and shoved back her hood to stare at him contemptuously.  
  
"Oh, Krista! What a pleasant surprise! Y-You know I didn't really mean what I said about girls being...um...what I mean to say is...um...heh heh..." He stared sheepishly at her, running his fingers nervously through his red hair. Beautiful red hair, thought Rebecca.  
  
Krista, with scathing humor, also offered her services as a tactician. That's why she doesn't have any weapons, mused Rebecca.  
  
"Hey! I'm the one who found them!" cried Lowen, determined not to be left out. "Yeah. I found them at that place over there where that brigand...is...coming...from..."  
  
"How dare that good-for-nothing brigand defile my home with his presence! Who does he think he is?!" Rebecca was about to get her answer.  
  
The brigand strutted out of Rebecca's home and shouted, "I am Groznyi! This pathetic hovel shall now be mine! [insert evil laughter]" Rebecca flinched at what Groznyi said about her home, but with that came a new resolve to take him down.  
  
"I think I'm ready to fight now," she declared through clenched teeth.  
  
"Shall we commence to battle?" asked Marcus. The question was directed at Eliwood.  
  
"Yes. Krista, do what tacticians do best." Krista nodded in assent.  
  
"The rest of you—Lowen, Marcus, and Rebecca—prepare yourselves."  
  
"Yessir!" they chorused.  
  
"But Krista," inquired Rebecca, "how can you give us commands without the enemy noticing?"  
  
Krista smiled, "You'll wear these of course," she replied as she handed everyone small ear-shaped devices. "You wear them in your ears and then I'll be able to talk to you no matter where I am. I'll probably be somewhere high and faraway so I can see everyone. Most of the time though you'll fight on your own 'cause I'm just here to warn you or give you advice from time to time."  
  
"Thanks for the explanation," said Rebecca, "Now let's go pound that Groznyi into the ground!"  
  
"We have to get through his thugs first."  
  
Apprehensive silence followed Lowen's remark until...  
  
"Hey Lowen?"  
  
"Yes, Rebecca?"  
  
"Shut up and fight." Lowen laughed.  
  
"Yes ma'am!"  
  
Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then REVIEW! The real action is going to come in the next chapter. I'm trying to make my chapters like this: 1) before battle, 2) during battle, and 3) after battle. Yes I'm evil. Please get over it. Oh yeah, and if you hated this chapter please tell me why (in a review) and I'll change it. Thank you. 


	2. First Fight

Disclaimer: I don't own the Fire Emblem characters...wait yeah I do! I paid $30.00 for them. Hahaha! In your face big companies! Who needs you?! *ahem* Sorry about that. Now onto the thank-you's.  
  
Firetail – You were the first person to review my story! Thanks so much! You're awesome! (I'm going exclamation point happy...)  
  
The Story Master 125 – I think Rebecca with Wil, Raven, or Rath is good too. I haven't gotten very far in the game yet, so I don't really know if she gets together with anyone in the game. I hope she does! I just paired Rebecca with Wil because they knew each other as children (I think) and Rebecca's brother Dan and Wil were best friends or something like that. Thanks for pointing out that problem with the chapters. I just thought they would get really long, but on the Internet the stories seem so much shorter than in Word...anyway...thanks for reviewing!  
  
Jodi - *blushes* Me? A talented writer? That's so sweet! Thanks for the suggestion on what Rebecca's mom should be feeling. I haven't had much experience with being a mom, so I could use a lot of help in that respect! Thanks again for reviewing!  
  
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This chapter—and probably all of the battle chapters—are why my rating is PG-13. I try to make them feel real, but I haven't really been in any battles so suggestions would be appreciated. Something's wrong with my Tab key too, so that's why some of the paragraphs are tabbed and others aren't. Grr...  
  
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"Eliwood."  
  
"Yes, Marcus. What is it?"  
  
"That rapier you have. It is a special gift from your mother, is it not?"  
  
"Yes it is. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Weapons break when you use them too often and that rapier is the only weapon you have..."  
  
Eliwood sighed. "We're in the midst of a battle Marcus, couldn't this conversation—" He was stunned into silence when Marcus abruptly handed him his steel sword.  
  
"I wouldn't want your rapier to break too soon." Eliwood looked at Marcus, pure thankfulness on his face.  
  
Marcus, unaccustomed to such gratitude from anyone, quickly changed the subject.  
  
"I believe we have a fight on our hands."  
  
Eliwood snapped back into the present. "Yes, you're right. And...thank you."  
  
Marcus nodded and moved close to the first brigand.  
  
The brigand's eyes never left Marcus, and the moment Marcus moved in close, the brigand ran to cut him down. Not if I can help it, thought Rebecca, as she notched an arrow and launched it straight into the brigand's right arm. The brigand howled in pain as he glared around for the archer who had done this to him.  
  
Time seemed to stand still as the brigand saw Rebecca standing there with her hand on her upraised bow. Rebecca knew she should move, but her body wasn't cooperating. She saw, as if from a distance, the brigand opening his mouth in a war-cry and charging straight towards her.  
  
She wasn't quite sure what happened right afterwards, only that a flash of silver and bright red hair signaled Eliwood coming to her defense. Then she felt herself being lifted by—was it Lowen?—onto a horse, and felt, rather than saw, the brigand's demise on Lowen's sword.  
  
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"Rebecca? Hey Rebecca? This is Krista. Wave or something if you can hear me." Rebecca opened her eyes and waved weakly at nothing in particular.  
  
"Good. Now if you don't want to fight you don't have to, 'cause while you were...um..."  
  
"Out of service?" Rebecca supplied wryly.  
  
"Um...yeah. Anyway, while you were 'out of service' two guys showed up who were willing to help us. I've trained with one of them. His name's Dorcas, and he's a pretty good fighter. I don't know about the other one—Bartre, but Dorcas seems to trust him. I guess I will too."  
  
"Thanks for the offer Krista, but I'm still determined to fight. By the way, where's everybody else?"  
  
"Oh. They're still fighting. I asked them to leave you here so you wouldn't wake up to an enemy's axe."  
  
"Thanks," replied Rebecca, touched by her concern. "So, how do I find them?"  
  
"That shouldn't be a problem. Just follow your ears. Good luck. Krista out." Rebecca heard a click in her ear and assumed that Krista had turned off her device to let her concentrate on finding the others.  
  
Soon enough, Rebecca found her friends by following the sounds of weapons clashing and human voices lifting in the cacophony of battle-rage.  
  
She found herself face-to-face with an enemy archer, and before she knew what she was doing, she had shot an arrow towards him. He could have dodged the arrow easily, but luck was not on his side. The arrow sped swiftly and surely to lodge in his left leg just as Eliwood moved in to make the kill. The archer would not die so easily. He twisted his body so that Eliwood's blow, which should have ended his life, only grazed his side. Triumphantly, the archer raised his bow and shot, not at Eliwood, but at Rebecca!  
  
The enemy's arrow flew across the plain straight towards Rebecca's heart. Her mind was screaming at her to move, but her rebellious body remained excruciatingly still. In order to please both her mind and body, she was forced to twist awkwardly and the arrow planted itself into her side.  
  
Pain exploded from her side and traveled throughout her body. Pain was hers. It was all she had. Something instinctive inside of her made her focus on the pain and eliminate the source of it—the arrow.  
  
Rebecca's hand made slow progress to the arrow, hesitated before touching it, and finally grasped it tightly. A light gasp escaped her at the acute pain that came with the grasping of the arrow, but she steeled herself against it and pulled.  
  
It took all of Rebecca's will power not to scream when she pulled the arrow out. She looked at the arrow she held in her trembling hand and then threw it as far as she could. Next, she examined her side where the arrow had pierced her. It didn't look so good. She was bleeding too much and sharp bursts of pain came whenever she took a breath. Was this it? Was she destined to die in her first battle and never see her family again? She could hear a voice very near—almost too near—like it was coming from her head...or more like her right ear. Wait! That was the ear with Krista's device in it!  
  
Struggling to regain full consciousness, Rebecca concentrated on Krista's voice. It had renewed her urge to continue fighting.  
  
"Rebecca. Please answer. Rebecca. Please answer. Do something! Oh, Rebecca. Answer me! It's Krista! Rebecca!" Krista's voice had an edge of hysteria in it. She thinks I'm dying, thought Rebecca. That thought was so comical to Rebecca that she laughed quietly.  
  
"Rebecca! You're alive! That's such a relief! I..." Rebecca thought that Krista was crying, but soon Krista came back on sounding so much like Rebecca's mother that she laughed so hard her side was in agony.  
  
"What were you thinking going after another archer?! They can shoot back you know! Of all the dumb things to do—" Krista had to take a deep breath before continuing.  
  
"Are you bleeding a lot?"  
  
"A-A little bit," Rebecca managed to answer.  
  
"OK. Take a piece of cloth—like you headband—and use it to hold back the blood." Rebecca untied her lime green headband and did as Krista said. The pain subsided to a dull, but consistent pounding.  
  
"Rebecca? Are you alright?  
  
"Y-Yes." Rebecca cleared her throat. "Yes."  
  
"Good. Your friends have their hands full so you're going to have to rely on your own strength. Think you're up to it? They could use your help."  
  
"Yes. Thanks Krista."  
  
"You're welcome. Now go beat up some enemies like a nice little girl. Krista out." Rebecca heard the click, and looked around at her surroundings with a clear head.  
  
Dorcas had killed that *beep* archer; Eliwood had gotten up from the ground and was currently dusting himself off; Lowen and Bartre were engaged in fighting with another brigand; and Marcus was in town getting some information and what looked like a Dragonshield. All Rebecca had to do was get up, and then she could join them. That was easier said than done.  
  
When Rebecca could stand up for more than five seconds, she pronounced herself fit and went to join her comrades. Eliwood and Lowen were both overjoyed to see that she was alright, but two brigands came to attack them before they could reach her. Eliwood was slashed by one of the brigand's axe. He did manage to counterattack quite nicely, but Rebecca could see he needed immediate medical assistance. His armor was starting to match his hair color. Lowen managed to dodge the other brigand's blow and deliver a blow right back.  
  
Eliwood had lost so much blood that he was becoming sluggish. The brigand that just attacked him noticed him slowing down. He bared his crooked teeth in a malevolent grin and jumped into the air to deliver a final blow. He came down dead with an arrow protruding from his back. Rebecca had managed to pull herself together long enough to save Eliwood. He nodded his appreciation and pulled something out of his pocket. A vulnerary! He tossed one to her and used one on himself. A healthy glow surrounded him and soon he emerged looking a little less weary than before. Rebecca just stood there staring at her vulnerary.  
  
"Rebecca?"  
  
She looked up at Eliwood.  
  
"Yes...um...sir?"  
  
"Please, just call me Eliwood. I would like to know why you haven't healed yourself yet."  
  
"Oh." Rebecca blushed and stammered something about not wanting to waste such a valuable item.  
  
"Haha! Don't worry! I still have one more. They come in packages of threes." Rebecca still argued avidly about why she shouldn't use his vulnerary.  
  
"Eliwood! I can't! Please take it back. I'll be alright. I promise." She then looked so distressed that Eliwood hadn't the heart to deny her.  
  
"Fine. I'll take it back. Just promise me that you'll be careful."  
  
"I promise. Now let's go help our friends!"  
  
"Agreed. We should—Rebecca look out!"  
  
Rebecca whirled around opening up her wound. She gasped in surprise and pain and lost her footing. Eliwood caught her, but by doing so, he wouldn't be able to stop the brigand who was coming for them.  
  
Rebecca fumbled feebly for her arrows, but even if she could grab one of them, it would be too late. What could they do? When the brigand came almost close enough to kill Rebecca, a huge man leaped up with his axe glinting hellish red in the sunlight. The axe claimed the brigand's life in such a way as to make Rebecca sick and dizzy with repulsion. She would never want Bartre as an enemy.  
  
"Rebecca?" asked Eliwood, "You're trembling."  
  
"I-I'm alright, just a bit shaken up by..." She pointed at the dead brigand.  
  
"Sorry. I kind of go crazy when I see one (or two) of my comrades in danger," apologized Bartre, "which reminds me. Dorcas could use some help with that archer, and Lowen with that brigand."  
  
"Right," answered Eliwood. "I'll help Lowen. Rebecca, will you help Dorcas?"  
  
Rebecca nodded mutely. Why did it have to be another archer?  
  
Eliwood helped Rebecca stand on her own two feet. Then, with one worried glance in her direction, he ran to help Lowen. Rebecca limped into a forest so that she would be hidden from view, and then searched for Dorcas. Hmm...there! He had cut up the archer pretty badly, but he looked pretty bad himself. An arrow was lodged in the shoulder of his axe-wielding arm and blood was flowing freely from it. He looked the part of a valiant warrior who had pushed himself to the limit. Krista was right about this one, thought Rebecca.  
  
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Dorcas gripped his axe, his arm trembling with the effort. He seemed to be debating whether or not he should strike, for his shoulder simply couldn't take anymore. He thought his eyes deceived him when the archer tensed, looked shocked, and then looked no more. Had Dorcas thrown his axe? No. It was still here in his sweat-soaked hand. If not his axe, then what had killed the archer? Dorcas forced his tired eyes to focus on the archer's quiet body. An arrow. An arrow had killed the archer. But how? None of his allies (that he knew of at that time) could shoot a bow...wait. Was someone coming out of the tree? Dorcas hoped that it wasn't another enemy. He couldn't take much more.  
  
Dorcas didn't think this new person was an enemy, but he could never be too careful. With her green braids whipping around her face and her large innocent eyes, she didn't look all that threatening. Then his eyes alighted upon her bow that she held so possessively. Ah. So this was the one who had killed that archer. Instinctively, he raised his axe over his shoulder ready to strike.  
  
"Dorcas!" Surprised by a voice suddenly yelling in his right ear, he lost his balance for a second.  
  
"Hey! Don't do that!"  
  
"Sorry," apologized Krista, "but you looked like you were about to murder Rebecca for saving your life! What is it with men and not liking to accept help?!"  
  
"Hey, it's not like I knew she wasn't an enemy! You never told me about her!"  
  
"Oh." Krista was strangely quiet. "I...forgot. I'm sorry. She had just shot her first enemy, and had gone into a kind of emotional shock. I- I guess I was so worried about her and so delighted that you and Bartre came to help that...I'm sorry."  
  
Dorcas understood. "It's alright. You and Lyn helped save Natalie remember? I'll always be grateful for that."  
  
Krista smiled in reminiscence. "Yeah. Thanks Dorcas. Now, I believe you have yet to defeat Groznyi."  
  
"Understood oh might tactician!"  
  
"Glad to hear it. Krista out."  
  
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It was hilarious watching Dorcas talk to Krista, because it looked like he was talking to himself. Rebecca would have laughed if the situation had been lighter, but it wasn't. Besides, her wound could open up again—not something that she was eager to repeat.  
  
"Understood oh mighty tactician!"  
  
That sent Rebecca over the edge. She absolutely HAD to laugh now. She chuckled lightly, and just as she had predicted, her wound reopened (again).  
  
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His conversation with Krista finished, Dorcas turned his full attention to Rebecca. He didn't really need to look out for any more enemies because Rebecca had taken care of the last one—except for Groznyi. She was panting from both her laughter and the pain from her bleeding side. Dorcas winced in sympathy. He knew all to well what hurt she was in, for his shoulder still had the arrow in it.  
  
"Do you need any help?"  
  
Rebecca looked up in surprise, touched that such a brawny-looking man could be so gentle.  
  
"Oh, no. That's OK. I'll be fine as soon as I get that Groznyi." Rebecca had to pause and take a deep breath. "Come on. It looks like everyone else is moving to take him on."  
  
Dorcas smiled at her bravery. "OK."  
  
With that said, they both walked slowly toward their friends—and Groznyi.  
  
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Bartre was the first to attack Groznyi. He had always been the one to make finishing blows, and so had never gotten counterattacked. Therefore, he was still in pretty good shape. Rebecca felt a prick of jealousy at Bartre's heroic stance as he prepared to throw a hand axe at Groznyi, all too aware of her own worn-out looks. At least, she tried to console herself, she had done her part in the battle. She just wished that she could hurt Groznyi just as he had hurt her home.  
  
Bartre threw his axe. It connected, but barely, just grazing Groznyi's side. Groznyi glared at Barter and yet refused to move. Why won't he move? Rebecca couldn't understand. SHE would move if her enemies were closing in on her. Maybe it was Groznyi's stubbornness, or maybe he was just plain stupid. Whatever it was, it gave Rebecca an idea.  
  
Rebecca lifted her bow, strung an arrow, and shot it straight toward Groznyi. It struck him dead-on, but didn't seem to have much effect. He snorted like a bull, but otherwise did nothing. There's something definitely wrong with him if he won't fight back, thought Rebecca. This could turn out to be easier than she had first believed.  
  
Eliwood, heartened by Rebecca's courage, ran toward Groznyi with his rapier extended. He connected with such force that Rebecca was sure it would be the end of Groznyi. Imagine her dismay when he was not only still alive, but about to attack Eliwood as well. Groznyi's axe landed in Eliwood's shoulder with a dull thud, and was extracted dripping with blood. Eliwood's blood—his life's essence—was seeping into the ground, flowing away from his body at an alarming rate.  
  
Rebecca watched in horror and then in relief when Groznyi was stopped from killing Eliwood by Marcus. He had charged up atop his war-horse to scare Groznyi out of his mind, and then he had lifted Eliwood onto his horse and into safety. Through all of this, Groznyi still had not moved.  
  
A javelin came out of nowhere to land with a devastating effect in Groznyi's side. Good ol' Lowen had managed to sneak in on Groznyi and throw a javelin. While this was going on, Dorcas helped Eliwood onto the ground, so Marcus would be freer to move around.  
  
Since both Rebecca and Bartre could attack from far away, they managed to simultaneously shoot their respective weapons at Groznyi. Rebecca smiled, thinking that Groznyi was finally defeated. This, unfortunately, was not the case. Like a wild animal, Groznyi was even more dangerous wounded than he was before, and he charged at Rebecca, hatred in his eyes.  
  
Rebecca was too tired to move. Her mind dimly registered that danger was coming towards her at a rapid pace...wait. Now the danger stopped and Lowen was painting it red. Silly Lowen. He was holding a sword not a paintbrush, and why was he painting in red? Rebecca liked the color green better. She couldn't focus her eyes, and suddenly she was very tired. Oh, Lowen could paint in any color he wanted so long as Rebecca could sleep.  
  
Red...green...or black. Black was a nice color, Rebecca thought, as it became all she could see.  
  
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Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then REVIEW! I know the ending is kind of strange, but I wanted to try to portray what might go through a person's mind when they're about to...well...faint. Don't worry, Rebecca hasn't died. I wouldn't be that mean to her. Oh yeah, I know Rebecca has a brother named Dan, and Wil and Dan went on an expedition to help both their families, but it would be nice if I could get more details. ( Does Dan ever meet them in the actual game? Please answer. Thank you. 


	3. Abandonment

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Fire Emblem characters, except maybe Rebecca's mother. There. You can't sue me now. Now onto the thank-you's!  
  
Houyoku: Thanks so much for reviewing...again! Yay! Oh, and for the tips too. They really help a lot. How do you know so much about Rebecca?? Amazing. That's what you are. Thanks again!  
  
?: Thanks for the information about Dan really being Dart the pirate, and thanks for reviewing!  
  
The Story Master 125: You are so sweet! Thanks for the information about Dan being Dart undercover, and the information about how support conversations can sometimes give hints on who they eventually end up with! Yay! Thanks!  
  
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Rebecca could hear singing. It was so soft and soothing and...somehow familiar. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw the source of all comfort and safety—her mother.  
  
Her mother smiled down at her in the bed. Rebecca looked so beautiful with wavy emerald locks framing her face and eyes to match. Dora (I made up a name) could never understand why her daughter had never dated or even given hints on who she might like. There was Wil, her memory reminded her, but Dora pushed that traitorous thought to the back of her mind. Dan and Wil made their decision long ago.  
  
"Mother?"  
  
Dora was startled out of her memories by Rebecca's small voice.  
  
"Yes dearest?"  
  
"Were you singing just now? I-It was wonderful." Dora blushed at the praise.  
  
"You can sing just as well as I can, Rebecca. But, not with that wound you have. You're lucky the arrow didn't puncture one of your lungs."  
  
Rebecca rolled her eyes. It was just like her mother to change the subject off of her singing.  
  
Dan and Wil had always liked it...  
  
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"No no, Rebecca! Your form is all wrong!" A twelve-year-old Dan held up his hands in exasperation. "I thought you said you wanted to learn how to be a hunter!"  
  
"But big brother, the bow's too big for me!" a teary-eyed Rebecca cried. "B-But I do want to learn! I want to be able to protect you and Wil and Mommy and Daddy and our whole village!"  
  
"OK! OK!" Dan always felt guilty when Rebecca started crying. "Just try again. I'm sure you'll get it this time."  
  
Fueled by Dan's words, Rebecca struggled with the large bow and managed to string an arrow. She then looked at Dan for confirmation.  
  
"You're doing great. Now pull the string back. Come on. Use all your strength. There you go. Now, release it!" The arrow flew a whopping ten yards to land just short of the makeshift target. Rebecca's eyes became blurry with liquid.  
  
"Oh no. Don't cry. You know I'm better with my axe, and you did really good anyway. Really." Dan comforted.  
  
Rebecca turned her innocent eyes to Dan.  
  
"R-Really?"  
  
"Really. In fact, I think your success is even worth a song." Dan picked a wildflower that was near Rebecca, and presented it to her with a flourish.  
  
"Ah. My fair lady. Wouldst thou grace my humble ears with a song?" Rebecca giggled, took the flower, and placed it in her hair.  
  
"What are you talking about? You're using funny words!" She giggled again in girlish delight.  
  
"He wants you to sing a song," said a voice from behind them.  
  
Rebecca swung around, the fear on her face quickly changing to relief as she was who it was.  
  
"Wil! You shouldn't sneak up on people!"  
  
"Hi Dan! Hi Rebecca!" called Wil, "I'm sorry I scared you ("I wasn't scared," said Dan). I was just walking by when I heard Rebecca was going to sing. So, how about it little Wildflower? Will you sing for us?"  
  
Rebecca blushed, suddenly very shy. "I-I don't know...I-If you r- really want me t-to."  
  
Wil clapped his hands, and winked at Dan. "Of course we do, and we won't ever leave 'til we've heard every song you've got!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Against Rebecca's consent, a tear rolled down her cheek, then another, and another. Pretty soon, a full-fledged flood was soaking her blankets and her mother's shoulder, which had been kindly offered to let her cry on. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she stop?  
  
"Poor baby," consoled her mother, "does it really hurt that much? You know you should've taken that vulnerary—"  
  
"No, no. No!"  
  
Dora, shocked that such force came from Rebecca, could only stammer, "Um...'no' to what dearest?"  
  
"I-I had...I had..." Rebecca couldn't continue because she was too distraught. Dora cupped her daughter's face in her hands all the while humming quiet melodies that Rebecca had been fond of as a child. Unfortunately, singing seemed to make her worse.  
  
Dora sighed.  
  
"Rebecca." She forced Rebecca to look at her in the eyes, and Rebecca let herself be carried into their calming depths.  
  
"I love you my dear. Now, tell me what got you so worked up." Rebecca took and deep breath.  
  
"I-I...had no more songs."  
  
Dora looked confused. "I don't understand. You had no more—"  
  
"Songs! There were no more! Dan and Wil went away because there were no more songs! They left me! THEY LEFT ME!"  
  
Suddenly the door burst open and Krista, Lowen, Eliwood, Bartre, and Dorcas fell flat on the floor. Marcus stood in the doorway looking embarrassed, which surprised Rebecca, for she had never seen him show any emotion before.  
  
Krista was the first to recover from her fall.  
  
"My lady," she apologized, indicating Rebecca's mother, "I take full responsibility for Rebecca's injuries. Please understand that if anyone left Rebecca, it was for her protection..." Krista stopped explaining to look at Rebecca questioningly.  
  
"You WERE talking about the battle...uh...weren't you?"  
  
Rebecca was just too emotionally strained at the moment to care about saving face, and so she laughed and laughed and laughed. She laughed until tears were again streaming down her face, and she glowed with mirth and mischief. Dora thought she could almost see her little ten-year-old girl again—back when Rebecca was unaware of anything but goodness in the world.  
  
It was a good thing that everybody in the room, perhaps with the slight exception of Marcus, had a sense of humor. There had been stunned silence at first when Rebecca went into hysterics. Then Eliwood started chuckling; after Eliwood, Krista started to laugh; then after Krista, Lowen started; then Dorcas; and so on. Even Marcus smiled a tiny bit—a fact which he would later deny.  
  
After a spirit-boosting five minutes of straight laughter, Rebecca got a hold of herself. She was starting to feel like her usual optimistic self again.  
  
"Thanks guys! I really needed that. Maybe those bandits coming after our town was a good thing after all!"  
  
"No problem!" replied Krista. And then on a more serious note, "But that reminds me of what we learned from the magistrate."  
  
Rebecca looked puzzled. "You spoke to my father already? That was quick!"  
  
"Well honey," explained Dora, "You were asleep for...quite a long time. Um...almost a whole day in fact." She stroked Rebecca's hair lovingly.  
  
"Mom..." Rebecca complained, "I'm not a little girl anymore! You're embarrassing me!"  
  
Everyone in the room tried to hide their laughter, but to no avail.  
  
"It's OK Rebecca," comforted Eliwood after he could control his laughter. "I get that ALL the time from my nursemaid, Marcus, over here." He jabbed Marcus in the arm with his elbow. Marcus didn't move, but his mouth twitched ever so slightly.  
  
Rebecca sighed in contentment. It had been so long since she had been with people her own age. She could stay like this forever. The bed felt so welcoming. The company was pleasant. Her mother was still stroking her hair. It all made her feel sleepy. But I want to stay up and talk with my new friends, protested Rebecca as sleep came to claim her once again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"She's tired. We should stay here and regain our strength—like Rebecca."  
  
Eliwood tensed, staring at Krista's determined face. Her dark brown eyes glimmered with frustration.  
  
"You know," offered Lowen, "We shouldn't leave before saying good- bye. It would be rude."  
  
Bartre snorted. "Like you would know anything about manners."  
  
Lowen looked shocked. "Of course I do! I'm training to be one of the greatest knights in Pherae, and it's hard work I tell you! Proper etiquette is one of the first lessons—"  
  
"Lowen!" Marcus barked sharply, "We can discuss your training later. We must now concentrate on the matter at hand."  
  
"Which is?" asked Dorcas.  
  
Marcus tossed Dorcas a look that blatantly stated: Why would I need to explain something THAT obvious to you? His lips remained firmly closed.  
  
Krista sighed. 'Men and their stinkin' pride!' she thought. Out loud, "Here's the deal. We have to decide whether or not to leave right now or wait and recover our strength."  
  
"Oh." Bartre frowned in concentration. "Well, I say we go on fighting! What do you think, Dorcas old buddy?"  
  
Dorcas hung his head in exasperation. Sometimes Bartre could actually seem intelligent, but other times...  
  
"Hey!" Bartre poked Dorcas on the forehead. "Is anybody in there? Helloooo! If you're not goin' to perk up and talk, then I'm gonna vote for you!"  
  
Dorcas was getting thoroughly annoyed by this time, but still he refused to answer. He wasn't a man of many words.  
  
Bartre finally gave up trying to get an answer from Dorcas, and instead shouted, "Dorcas ain't gonna say anything, so I'm gonna vote for him!" He paused dramatically. "And I say...we go fight some more!" He looked very pleased with himself.  
  
Krista shook her head. "Fine. So Lowen and I want to stay and recover—and wait for Rebecca, and Bartre and...I suppose Dorcas...want to go on. That just leaves Eliwood and Marcus." She turned her eyes onto them expectantly.  
  
"I believe we should press forward," replied Marcus. "The lord Darin of Laus sounds like he's planning something. We should hurry to find out his plans."  
  
Eliwood thought for a moment, then agreed with Marcus. Krista could tell he was worried about his father.  
  
She consented. "Well, majority rules. We should pay our respects to Rebecca's family, and then be on our way."  
  
"I just wish Rebecca could come with us." Lowen stated. Everyone in the room thought the same.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What do you mean 'they left'?!" Rebecca flew out of bed in a frenzy, refusing to meet her mother's gaze.  
  
"Rebecca..." Dora pleaded, "Please. You're not fully recovered from—"  
  
"I'm recovered enough!" Rebecca swung around to face her mother, bravely trying to hide her tears and put on an optimistic face. It wasn't working.  
  
She ran to her mother and hid her face in Dora's soft, sweet-smelling hair.  
  
"Mommy..." Dora hadn't heard Rebecca use that name in a long time. She hugged Rebecca closer and whispered:  
  
"Yes, my dear? You know I'll always be here for you, my sweet child..."  
  
"Mommy," There was that name again. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
Dora was shocked. "Rebecca, why would you think something's wrong with you?"  
  
Rebecca tore herself away from her mother's loving grasp, and stumbled to her bed. She then sat down and put her face in her hands, trembling with the effort of trying not to cry.  
  
Dora was a mother. Her child was in pain. It was pure maternal love that drove her to do what she did next. She strode to the bed, sat down next to her child, cupped Rebecca's face in her hands, and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Now Rebecca," Rebecca winced and lowered her eyes. "Why do you think something's wrong with you?"  
  
"Because there is...there is..." Rebecca whispered.  
  
"Dearest one, there is nothing wrong with you." Dora answered back.  
  
Rebecca shook her head as if trying to rid herself of troubling memories.  
  
"Then why...does everyone leave me?" she managed to choke out.  
  
"They were worried that you wouldn't be able to..." Dora had to search for the right word. "Well, they were afraid for your safety, just like your father and I would be. Just like Dan—"Dora's hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened in shock as she realized her dreadful mistake.  
  
Rebecca slowly got up from the bed, walked deliberately to the door, opened it, and then turned around to face her mother.  
  
"Just like Dan, mother. Just like Dan."  
  
Dora watched Rebecca as she got up from the bed. She watched as Rebecca walked to the door. She watched as Rebecca opened the door. She watched as Rebecca turned to face her. She watched as Rebecca's mouth formed the words: 'Just like Dan.' And still she watched as Rebecca shut the door.  
  
For that is what mothers did—what they were supposed to do—watch over their child. Then why did Dora just sit there and watch her child walk away, maybe forever? Would she lose both children to the outside world? Dora stood up. No. She had lost one. She would not lose the other.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rebecca ran out of her house in pursuit of her friends. She was a pretty good archer, and they needed good archers didn't they? Her mind tried to justify why they would leave so soon after the battle. They were probably just in a really big rush, yeah, and...and...  
  
Rebecca slowed down to catch her breath. What was she thinking? 'Oh Rebecca', she mentally criticized herself, 'I'll bet that the only reason they let you fight in the first place was because they badly needed more people. Get a hold of yourself! They don't need you anymore. They left so they wouldn't have to hurt your feelings...'  
  
"Rebecca?" It was a man's voice that startled her out of her brooding.  
  
"Yes, Father?" she asked, turning around to face him. She saw that his eyes had a look of mixed curiosity and suspicion.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Rebecca winced at the blatant accusation.  
  
"I..." she stammered, "I'm going with lord Eliwood." Her eyes widened in shock as she realized what had just popped out of her mouth. Was she really set on traveling with him?  
  
"Are you really set on traveling with him?" her father echoed her thoughts.  
  
"Yes." Again, Rebecca was surprised by the way her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own.  
  
Her father smiled sadly. "You're just as stubborn as your mother."  
  
A shadow emerged from behind him and said, "Oh yeah? You don't know how much trouble you're in now, mister! I'll show you how stubborn I can be." The shadow moved into the light and was revealed to be Rebecca's mother.  
  
"Ahh...my dear Dora..." stuttered Rebecca's father, "I d-didn't see you there...heh heh..." He trailed off, looking very nervous.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dora laughed. It was her first real laugh since Dan...but it was better not to think of such things. Instead, she fixed her attention on the present problem—Rebecca.  
  
Dora couldn't understand why her children were so fixed on going away from home! She could remember dreaming about them growing up and having kids of their own, and of course their kids would come and visit "Grandma Dora" all the time. She clenched her blue waistband in her hands. All of that changed when Dan and Wil ran away and left Rebecca alone...  
  
Dora looked at her daughter, and saw the same determination, hope, and...joy that Dan must have had on his face when he went away. Joy. Dora had to avert her eyes. Was she such a failure that her children would be happy to go away?  
  
"So..." What was she supposed to say? 'I'm glad that you're abandoning your father and I just like Dan?' No. No! Rebecca would never do that. She was a good girl, and good daughter. Dora couldn't lose her too...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rebecca saw her mother choke up. 'Oh mother,' she pleaded, 'don't do this to me. I have to go. I know I do...'  
  
"Mother? Father?" They both turned toward her, hoping for an explanation. "I...I know...that you don't...want me to go...but, I could...I could..." Rebecca gulped. "Icouldgofindmybrother."  
  
Rebecca cringed. She had said that way too fast. Taking a deep breath, she tried again.  
  
"I mean...maybe I'll meet up with Dan somewhere...out there." She swung her arm out in a sweeping motion to emphasize her point, hoping that finding Dan was a good enough reason to go venturing.  
  
Her father looked satisfied enough, but her mother.... Rebecca turned pleading eyes to Dora. 'Please understand', she thought, 'I don't want to leave without your consent.'  
  
Dora took a step toward Rebecca. Then she took another. Then another, and another...until she was standing eye-to-eye with her. Rebecca shrunk back a little, expecting a reprimand for daring to speak of Dan in such a way. But...  
  
Instead of seeing her mother's eyes harden, instead of hearing the harsh reprimand, and instead of feeling the acute ache of someone who has been rejected, she saw her mother's hands lift up a blue waistband, heard the swish of cloth, and felt it land softly in her own outstretched hands.  
  
Rebecca looked up in shock.  
  
"But mother! Your—"  
  
"It's yours now, honey," Dora interrupted, "My mother made it for me, and now I should pass it onto you."  
  
"...Thank you...mother..."  
  
"Go with our blessing, Rebecca."  
  
"Thank you, Father...oh, thank you!" Rebecca drew both of them into a fierce and joyful embrace.  
  
After a prolonged period, which Dora wished would never end, Rebecca drew herself out of the embrace, wiped her face clear of any tears that might have appeared, and smiled. After seeing that smile, Dora knew that their decision to let Rebecca go was the right one.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rebecca could see her friends in the far distance—the VERY far distance, and her side was already throbbing. Maybe she should just go back home. She was sure her mother would like that, and her father, too.  
  
Rebecca shook her head. No. She couldn't turn back now, not after having come this far. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she turned back, so there was only one available option—to keep going.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Krista!" Krista snapped her head around to face the speaker.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's the seventh—no, eighth!—time you have turned around to look behind us," replied a very stressed-out Eliwood. "You're starting to spook me out. Are you watching for enemies? Because Marcus—"  
  
"No." Krista answered curtly.  
  
"Then...what ARE you looking for?"  
  
Bartre chose this moment to come in.  
  
"Why, lord Eliwood, she's just on the lookout for little Rebecca!" Bartre looked pleased with himself.  
  
"And you know this," Eliwood commented, "how?"  
  
Bartre pulled Eliwood close like a conspirator, and whispered very secretly. "You see, Krista and I made a bet about Rebecca. She said that Rebecca would come after us, and I said that she wouldn't. Now...I only let you in on this 'cause you're our lord and all, but don't go telling anybody else!"  
  
Krista rolled her eyes, then turned back around to look for Rebecca. That girl had better come soon! There was only so much gloating that Krista could take from Bartre.  
  
As Krista became more certain that Rebecca would not appear, and more depressed about having to give Bartre 150 gold, she spotted something. No, no something...someone! Rebecca!  
  
Krista could hardly contain her glee. Oooh...this would sure make Bartre think twice before betting against her again! She smiled and contented herself with watching Rebecca's slow and steady progress...which...wasn't...steady...at...all. What was wrong? Oh no! Krista remembered that Rebecca had gotten hurt pretty bad, and hadn't had enough time to heal properly. Krista decided that she would have to do something. But what? Could she stall the group somehow? Could she fake sick? Could she...Krista made an exclamation and slapped her forehead. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before? She mustered all of the air her little lungs could hold and—  
  
"Rebecca!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She was tired, hungry, and in pain—a combination that she was not used to. Rebecca tried to be optimistic by telling herself that she was almost there and not to give up...but it was a losing struggle...  
  
"Rebecca!"  
  
The cry snapped Rebecca back into focus. Where did such a loud cry come from? She scanned the horizon for any sign of—there! Krista was waving frantically astride Lowen's horse.  
  
With renewed vigor, Rebecca stumbled toward them while trying to wave back to Krista. Rebecca's waving seemed to attract Lowen's attention as well, and as a result, he swung his horse around and galloped straight towards her!  
  
Krista had almost fallen off, and was now in the process of holding on for dear life and yelling profanities at Lowen all at the same time. Rebecca had to hand it to her; she could sure multitask!  
  
Lowen finally realized that Krista wanted him to slow down, so he did, looking very sheepish with his red face and shaggy hair. Krista got off, still shooting Lowen dirty looks. Rebecca was so relieved to find Krista and Lowen that she didn't realize the rest of the group was coming up right behind them.  
  
"Oh Rebecca!" Krista ran to hug and exhausted Rebecca.  
  
Rebecca could only manage a weak smile in return, because she was so tired. By this time, the others were slowly gathering around her, concern and happiness etched on their faces—except for Bartre. He was at the edge of the group, moping about his lost bet.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Krista happened to glance in Bartre's direction after she had let go of Rebecca. She patted Rebecca's shoulder in encouragement, and then started making her way toward Bartre. He didn't seem too happy about her move. She just rolled her eyes.  
  
"Hey Bartre." He refused to give any indication that he heard her.  
  
Krista sighed. For the second time that day, she cursed mens' stubborn pride. 'But', she thought, 'where would the fun be without it?  
  
"Hey Bartre," she persisted, "You can forget about that bet we made. I think that we should just be glad that Rebecca came to join us, and—"  
  
"Well, you know what? I'm not gonna pay you! So there! It was a stupid bet in the first place and..." Bartre trailed off and blinked in confusion.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
Krista smiled. "I said that the bet is off, and that we should just concentrate on getting Rebecca settled."  
  
"Oh..." Bartre still looked confused. "So...I...don't have to pay you?"  
  
"No...but you CAN help to lift Rebecca onto Lowen's horse." Krista pointed to a Rebecca who was falling asleep on her feet.  
  
"Alright." Bartre had brightened up considerably by not having to pay Krista. He walked briskly to Rebecca, lifted her like she weighed nothing at all, and placed her gently onto Lowen's horse. A muttered 'thank-you' was all he got as thanks as Rebecca dozed off.  
  
"Poor thing," whispered Krista. "She had to follow us a long time to catch up..."  
  
"She does have spirit," agreed Eliwood. Then to Lowen, "Can you ride with her and make sure she doesn't fall off?" He pointed toward Rebecca's sleeping form.  
  
Lowen nodded and clambered onto his horse to sit right behind Rebecca. He looked a little unsure about how he would keep her from falling off, but then decided that holding the reins around her would be sufficient.  
  
"So, shall we proceed to Laus?"  
  
"Yes, Marcus, I believe we shall."  
  
Bartre looked excited. "Alright! Let's go kick some answers from that lord Darin, or whatever-his-name-is!"  
  
Dorcas sighed and didn't comment, although he did finger his axe a little more than he had to.  
  
"Come on, slowpokes!" Krista had already climbed up behind Lowen, who was looking kind of embarrassed.  
  
Eliwood and Dorcas rode with Marcus, while Krista and Rebecca rode with Lowen. Bartre flat refused to have anything to do with horses, so he was the one stuck on his own two feet. This was a good thing though, because Bartre got his freedom, which pleased him; and by the time they settled down to make camp, he was too tired to talk much, which pleased everybody else. A symbiotic relationship—that is what it was.  
  
"I bet 150 gold that I'll beat you to Laus!" challenged Bartre. Then he took off running, laughing at the victory he was sure he would achieve.  
  
Krista stared after his quickly-fading form. "But...that's the wrong way," turning to Marcus for confirmation, "Isn't it?  
  
"Yes." Marcus answered, a rare smile on his face.  
  
"Shouldn't we tell him?" asked Lowen. Dorcas snorted—his equivalent of a laugh.  
  
"No," replied Eliwood. "Well...not yet anyway."  
  
Everyone laughed, and Rebecca smiled in her sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? THEN REVIEW! Whew...that was a really long chapter. I didn't mean for it to be THIS long...oh well. Hope you like long chapters! Oh, and before I forget, does anyone know if the horses of Lowen, Marcus, Kent, Sain, or Rath have names? I know that Florina's pegasus is named Angel and I think Heath's dragon is named Hyperion, but it would be nice to know if the horses had names. Thanks. 


	4. Going to Santaruz

Rebecca: Hi everybody! You should know by now that she doesn't own any Fire Emblem characters!  
  
Me: Who are you?  
  
Rebecca: I'm your muse!  
  
Me: ?????  
  
Rebecca: Oh come on! You know, I'm someone who makes you write more and inspires you! *cracks a whip*  
  
Me: *gulp* Help me...  
  
Rebecca: ^_____^ Now onto the thank-you's!  
  
Me: Hey wait!  
  
The Story Master 125: Another review from you! Yay! I'm glad you liked the humor in my last chapter, but sadly humor's kind of hard to portray in battle chapters so... But I hope you still like it! Yeah, Sain's horse being named Emerald and Kent's horse being named Ruby makes a lot of sense. Ah, the power of color coordination! Eliwood gets a horse?? Awesome! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Jeanie: How many of Rebecca's supports have I gotten? Um...*looks embarrassed* I've gotten hers and Lowen's in my game, but if you look on the Internet, you can usually find other support conversations. Yeah! Actually Rebecca can be paired with Lowen, Wil, Raven and even SAIN!!!! Many thanks for the review!  
  
Houyoku: Really? You had a good time reading my story? *starry-eyed* You're so sweet! Oh, sorry about Florina's pegasus' name problem. I don't remember where I saw the name Angel, but it seemed like it suited a pegasus...ah, oh well. Thanks for the clear-up! Maybe she has two pegasus!!! O.o How do you get so many support conversations? *bows to your superior knowledge* Wow, that helped a whole lot! Long rants are wonderful in reviews! Don't apoligize for that. Thank you so much for reviewing!  
  
Fenix: Thanks for the information on Florina's pegasus, and thanks for reviewing too! Glad you like the story so far!  
  
????: Wow, that's so nice of you to say! Yes, this story is definitely going to be Wil/Rebecca!  
  
DTN: Oh yeah, Rebecca/Wil rulz alright!!! I'm happy that you understood this! You don't really have to know a lot about the games to understand what I write...at least I think you don't... Well if you don't understand, you can leave your questions in a review or email *hint hint* It's OK that you don't know the names of the horses, but thanks for the pegasus name! Thanks again for your wonderful review!  
  
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Twenty-four pages!!! Oh yeah! This chapter is kind of like two chapters rolled into one, because it has before a battle and the actual battle. Oh, and I used APujanata's wonderful Turn-By-Turn walkthrough to help write my battle chapters, so if your confused about why some things happened, go there at gamefaqs.com. It shouldn't be that hard to find... Enjoy!  
  
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When Rebecca woke up, it was still pretty dark in the tent that she shared with Krista. She guessed that it was very early in the morning by the faint hints of light making their way through the tent flaps. Usually, she would just glare at the light and go back to sleep, but she was tired of sleeping! She giggled at how that thought was contradictory to itself—being tired of sleeping! Another giggle escaped her, even though she was trying her hardest to be quiet.  
  
"Huh...? C'mon...just five more minutes..." Krista sat up and rubbed her eyes, muttering something about stupid morning people.  
  
Rebecca's hand flew up to her mouth, as she too sat up.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" she whispered. "I tried to be really quiet. I...I guess I'm still not used to traveling a lot..." She stood up. "I'll go for a walk or something, so I won't disturb you."  
  
"Oh no. That's alright. You don't ha—" A huge yawn cut Krista's statement short. "...Whoa. I haven't yawned like that in a while... What was I saying again?" She laid back down with a huff. "Oh nevermind. If you want to go outside, take my traveling cloak. It's still—" She yawned again. "...It's still pretty chilly outside."  
  
"Thank you, Krista." A muffled 'You're welcome' was Krista's response as she pulled the blanket over her head.  
  
Rebecca tiptoed across the tent floor, retrieved the traveling cloak, quietly put it on, and then tiptoed out of the tent. She didn't realize that she had been holding her breath, until she let it all out upon exiting the tent.  
  
It felt good. It was probably the first time she had been able to breathe deeply without feeling any pain. She smiled and breathed again, taking in everything around her—the fading moon, the rising sun, the call of birds, the chattering of small woodland creatures, and the AIR. 'Ah, what wonderful air!' she thought. Never before had she breathed anything so crisp, so clean, so...huh?  
  
Rebecca looked around in confusion. That smell wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't natural. It almost smelled like—  
  
"Oh @#$%!" She cringed at the rude interjection. "Burned again! I knew I should have let Lowen cook! Stupid...dumb...burnt...meat!" Each word was emphasized with what sounded like the cut of a knife or—Rebecca walked closer to the sounds—an axe. She gulped. She wasn't sure if she wanted to eat breakfast this morning, for Bartre was slicing up the overcooked meat with his axe, a murderous gleam in his eyes. She quickly backed away. No, she wasn't going to eat any of THAT.  
  
On her way back to the tent to warn Krista about breakfast, Rebecca heard voices coming from the tent shared by Eliwood, Marcus, and Lowen. Since her hunger wasn't going to be sated, she reasoned that her curiosity would have to be doubly contented. In other words, she was trying to justify her reason for eavesdropping. Anyway, she crept closer to the tent to listen in on their private conversation.  
  
"I believe we shouldn't go all the way to Laus with such a small group." Rebecca was surprised to hear Krista's voice. "We could be easily overwhelmed by a well-trained militia or even by a rag-tag bunch of brigands if here were enough of them!"  
  
Rebecca could picture Marcus stroking his beard as he replied, "She's right, Lord Eliwood, we should not go straight to Laus. It would be too dangerous."  
  
"What about..." Rebecca heard the ruffling of papers as Krista presumably hunted for a map.  
  
"...Here it is. I knew my map was in here somewhere...ahem. We are here in Pherae, correct?" Rebecca could hear murmurs of assent. "And we need to go there, to Laus, right?" Again, she could hear replies of agreement.  
  
"Look at this town in between the two." Rebecca could picture everyone leaning in to get a better look at the map.  
  
"You mean Santaruz?"  
  
"Yes I do, Lowen."  
  
Rebecca could faintly see Eliwood's outline stand up and start pacing back and forth. "Hmm...Santaruz..." he mused. "I believe Lord Helman would help us. He and my father were...are...good friends, and I'm sure he would recognize me."  
  
"Sounds good to me," declared Marcus, "but something else is sounding better right now...and that's—" To his great embarrassment, his stomach chose that moment to intercede on its behalf.  
  
"Breakfast?" slyly finished Krista.  
  
Rebecca could picture Marcus's stern, solid face so well, that she was hard-pressed to keep from laughing. However, try as she might, a tiny giggle escaped. She put her hands over her mouth, but it was too late.  
  
"What was that?" Lowen sounded a little nervous.  
  
"I don't know," answered Krista, "but I think it came from the tent's entrance. Go check, Marcus."  
  
"Humph...very well. It is probably nothing more than a small animal or a bird."  
  
"That was no animal..." Eliwood was as nervous as Lowen, but having been trained in the art of bureaucratic speaking, he knew how to mask his emotions well.  
  
Marcus was slowly making his way toward the tent entrance, when Rebecca suddenly realized that she should get away—and fast. 'Hurry!' she thought. 'If they find out that I was listening...' She scrambled to get out of the way, but panic made her trip and fall flat on her face.  
  
"Ow..." Rebecca pushed herself up from the ground very slowly, while tenderly fingering her aching nose.  
  
"R-Rebecca?!" Lowen rushed past Marcus to help her up. Marcus looked slightly irked, but he would most likely forgive Lowen later—after he dealt Lowen a damaging defeat during lance practice. Marcus smiled—evilly, some would say—in anticipation.  
  
"I'm fine, Lowen!" Rebecca was now trying to convince Lowen that she could manage on her own. Lowen wasn't listening and insisted on doing the chivalrous thing—carry her. Krista, Eliwood, and Marcus, watched, amusement written all over their faces. At one point, Eliwood moved to separate them, but Krista stopped him. This was the most entertainment that they were likely to get, and anyway, Krista reasoned, it was a good way for people to blow off some steam.  
  
"Lowen!" Rebecca was now halfway between being picked up by Lowen and falling down again—a situation she did not seem to be enjoying.  
  
"I told you! I'm fine!"  
  
"But Rebecca! I have to—"  
  
"What's all this racket?!" Dorcas came running toward them, his axe shining in his upraised hand.  
  
"Aaaah! Dorcas, what are you doing?!"  
  
Dorcas came to a shocking halt, looked at Rebecca and Lowen, then at his axe, then back at Rebecca and Lowen, and then at Krista, who had just shouted at him. He then lowered his axe.  
  
"Oh...sorry. I thought that we were being attacked... I mean, the way Bartre's making 'breakfast', you would think he was fighting in a battle—"  
  
"What?!" Lowen dropped Rebecca in his shock. Thankfully, Eliwood and Krista were there to save her.  
  
"He...he's making breakfast?! Oh no!" Lowen rushed off to rescue his precious food from the clutches of Bartre the Brave—Blunderer of Baking.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lord Helman was tired. He did not want to go along with that man's plan anymore. Heck, he wasn't even sure if that being was a man! Lord Helman shuddered. He never wanted to see those piercing golden eyes or that long, black cloak...  
  
"Ah, Lord Helman." It was a sly, seductive voice that oozed false comfort and security. It was His voice.  
  
Helman couldn't help it. He had to tell of his concerns. "Eliwood is coming here! What should I do? I cannot lie to him. I cannot!"  
  
"Do not worry." His manner... It was so soothing... No! Helman would not be pulled into that man's web of deceit again!  
  
"His father and I were good friends. If I saw him face-to-face...I know I would have to tell him everything."  
  
"Then the solution is simple. Do not meet with him face-to-face. We will just chase him away." Again, his voice urged Helman to comply, but Helman still had a little protest left in him.  
  
"You...you don't mean to harm Eliwood?!"  
  
"No. No, of course not. A few scratches will not kill him. We will simply make him see his error in pursuing us. He will then run back to Pherae like a good little lord." Then, He laughed, and Helman shook with rage, defeat, sadness, and helplessness.  
  
"As long as you don't harm him..."  
  
"Of course not." Helman left the room, drained from such an encounter with...Him.  
  
With a flare of his long, dark cloak, and a glint of malice in his golden eyes, He barked an order to his servant lurking in the shadows.  
  
"Kill them."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rebecca's life consisted of two things—chewing and walking. She thought that traveling with Eliwood & Co. would be exciting and full of danger at every corner, but... She sighed. It was kind of boring sometimes. She supposed things would get interesting once they got to Laus, but first they had to stop by Santaruz to get help from the Marquess.  
  
Rebecca sighed again and tried to find a soft spot in Bartre's burnt mystery meat. That wasn't too likely.  
  
"Hey," Krista waved to Rebecca, and walked over. "What's all the sighing for? Is it the...you-know-what?" Bartre was eyeing them suspiciously, so Krista had had to call his mystery meat a 'you-know-what'.  
  
Rebecca laughed, which was a fine feat with all of the mystery meat in her mouth.  
  
Krista stared questioningly at Rebecca. "...OK...I'm guessing that's a no." Rebecca nodded. "Then...what is it?"  
  
Rebecca started to sigh again, and then caught Krista's eye. "Sorry...but, I'm just so bored!"  
  
To Rebecca's immense surprise and relief, Krista smiled. "I know the feeling. When I went with Lyn on her adventure, we were bored a lot. Although..." Krista started to laugh at a memory. "I don't know if traveling with Sain could be called boring!"  
  
"Who?" asked Rebecca.  
  
"Oh yeah. You've never met him have you?" Rebecca shook her head. "Well, he's...now how do I describe him? He's...what you would call a—"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Krista looked like she was trying very hard not to laugh. "He's a big flirt." Now she burst into gales of laughter.  
  
"Oh..." Rebecca started giggling very quietly. She couldn't help it. Krista was contagious.  
  
"H-How much longer until...we get to Santaruz?" Rebecca managed to gasp out between laughs.  
  
Marcus walked up to Rebecca and Krista, while leading his horse, Roland. "We have arrived."  
  
Rebecca looked around at her surroundings. She could barely make out Castle Santaruz in the distance.  
  
"What do you mean, 'We have arrived'? Castle Santaruz is still a long way off."  
  
Marcus pointed to a shop and a town nearby. "We can replenish our supplies here. It would be impolite to expect Lord Helman to supply us with everything we need."  
  
"Oh, I see. So we're—"  
  
"Hey, look out!" Lowen had spotted some rough-looking men heading their way.  
  
"Everyone get behind me!" cried Marcus as he leapt onto Roland.  
  
Suddenly, the men stopped, and one came forward, his hands on his sword sheath. Rebecca didn't like the look of him one bit.  
  
"Heh heh heh... Noble sirs. Alms for Zagan, a poor villager." The man extended his hands like he was going to receive something. From the way Marcus was glaring at him, Rebecca didn't think that Zagan would be receiving anything.  
  
"Poor villager?" Marcus scrutinized the man further. "You look nothing like an honest man. Clear the road. Move swiftly!"  
  
Zagan smiled, a crooked and sarcastic smile. "Ha...good advice. Maybe YOU should be the ones to follow it!"  
  
"What?" Marcus asked forcefully.  
  
"Heh," The man turned and pointed to Eliwood. "Someone wants that boy in an early grave." At that threat, Marcus made Roland rear up and scare Zagan away.  
  
"Come on out, boys! Earn your keep!" shouted the man, as he ran far away from Roland's hooves.  
  
"Coward..." Lowen muttered under his breath as he reached for his lance.  
  
Eliwood spotted him. "No, Lowen. It will be his time soon enough." He turned to Krista.  
  
"I know, Eliwood. Does everybody have their ear devices in?" Everyone nodded.  
  
"Good." Krista winked at Rebecca. "So much for being bored, huh?" Then she was off to scout the area.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rebecca was tense and a little bit nervous. This was to be expected of course, since this was her second official battle...but... She wished she could be confident and prepared like Marcus, or eager and enthusiastic like Lowen.  
  
"Everyone ready?" It was Krista. Apparently, she had finished surveying the area already. "...Hey. Somebody tell Bartre to turn his device on the signal that let's me talk to everyone at once." Dorcas went to help Bartre.  
  
"OK. Thanks. Here's the lowdown. There's a village just north of you Marcus, so you should go check it out." Marcus nodded and rode to the village. "The rest of you, move a little closer to the enemy, and wait. Oh! And tune your devices back to where I can speak to you individually... Good luck. Krista out."  
  
Rebecca fixed her device like everybody else, and then she waited with her bow clenched tight in her hand.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A lone brigand rushed to attack them, but was halted by Bartre's thrown axe. The brigand grabbed his left shoulder where blood was freely flowing, and howled a mad war cry.  
  
Rebecca had to drop her bow and cover her ears, it was such a horrible, piercing shriek of madness. This was an error on her part, and the brigand knew it. Yellow eyes followed her discarded bow, and then turned to Rebecca. They narrowed in fiendish delight. His axe would feast on her blood soon enough.  
  
Unbeknownst to the brigand, another's eyes had narrowed in the same way, but not for the same reason. Dorcas was watching him, calculating his every movement like any experienced fighter would. Dorcas saw the brigand focus on Rebecca, and knew what he had to do. Quickly maneuvering around the brigand, Dorcas cut him down from behind.  
  
Eliwood stared in shock, not at the dead brigand, but at Dorcas. "I- Isn't that dishonorable, cutting him down like that from behind?"  
  
Dorcas looked up at him, a fire smoldering in his normally-calm brown eyes. "All's fair in battling men who would do the same to you in a heartbeat, Lord Eliwood."  
  
Eliwood took time to register this information. "Point taken...but I still don't have to like it."  
  
Dorcas shrugged. "It's your choice. You may fight anyway you choose. Just...make sure you win."  
  
Eliwood nodded. "I understand...now let's get back to fighting!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'And they say women talk a lot', thought Rebecca. 'I guess Eliwood and Dorcas fell pretty comfortable on the battlefield if they can hold a conver—'  
  
"Look out!" shouted Rebecca.  
  
"Wha—" Eliwood didn't have time to finish his exclamation, for Lowen pushed him out of the way as an arrow sped past him and hit an incoming mercenary. The mercenary was stunned and scratched, but otherwise fine. He glared at Rebecca, and then charged toward her with every intention of cutting her down with his upraised sword. Bartre made sure that this intention would not be fulfilled. He lunged past Rebecca and threw an axe at the mercenary, which connected with devastating effect. Now, Rebecca wasn't a fragile girl, but such a sight made her feel slightly dizzy. For the second time, she fervently gave thanks that Bartre was not her enemy.  
  
"Hey Rebecca, you alright? You look a little—"  
  
"No, it's OK." Rebecca cut Krista short. "I'm fine. Really. I just need to...uh..."  
  
"It's OK. Battles aren't pretty. It's not like a dead enemy disappears into thin air. You have to fight your enemies physically, but you have to fight yourself emotionally. The dead man won't disappear and neither will your guilt or disgust. Believe me..." Krista sighed. "I know..."  
  
Rebecca couldn't reply with anything more than, "Oh..."  
  
Krista could feel tension building between them, which was the last thing Rebecca needed to be able to focus and fight. "Umm...Rebecca? There's a fortress nearby to your right. Maybe you could recover there...yeah."  
  
Rebecca smiled. "Thanks, Krista. I'm glad to have you here beside me, well, kind of beside me... Rebecca out."  
  
She scanned the battlefield for the fortress that Krista had told her about. ...Aha! There it was. Now all she had to do was—  
  
"Oh, ow..."  
  
Rebecca swung her head around, searching for the speaker, who turned out to be Eliwood.  
  
"Oh, Lord Eliwood! Are you alright?"  
  
"You can drop the 'lord', and yes...I'm alright..." he panted. "It's just that...I'm still not used to REAL battles."  
  
Rebecca nodded. She understood. "Um, Krista told me about a fortress nearby where we could recover our strength a little." She brought her face closer, so she could see him better. "You look like you could use that recovery more than me. Come on."  
  
Rebecca took Eliwood by the arm, and half-dragged, half-supported him to the fortress.  
  
Once they made it to their destination, Eliwood closed his eyes in contentment. "Thank you, Rebecca. I feel a whole lot better. I suppose being near any type of civilization gives me a little morale boost."  
  
Rebecca smiled. "You're welcome, Lor—I mean, Eliwood."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey Dorcas!"  
  
"Yeah, Lowen?"  
  
"You have a steel axe, right?"  
  
"Yes. I do."  
  
"Isn't it, uh, well... What I mean to say is...uh...heh... I mean, sorry to bother you!" Lowen rode off on Hartmut, his sorrel horse.  
  
"..." Dorcas shrugged, and looked around for his next victim. He wished that he had his trusty iron axe back again. It had been so much easier to land a blow with. However... He sighed. After traveling and fighting so much, his axe had finally broken. Oh well. He did still have this steel axe...  
  
No enemies so far. Where were those 'boys' that the man Zagan had ordered to come out? Were they scared or something? Dorcas snorted. Not likely. They were probably lying in wait until—hah! A horse, a sorrel, came galloping toward him. He gripped his steel axe, ready to strike when the rider came into range. Ready...almost there...yes!  
  
"Hi Dorcas!"  
  
"L-Lowen?!" Dorcas had to skid to a halt in order to not collide with Lowen, or, more importantly, Lowen's horse. Hartmut didn't seem like he would take Dorcas slamming into him very well. "I thought that you went ahead to scout or something!"  
  
Lowen looked slightly hurt and unsure of himself. "I d-did, but then K-Krista told me that there was a shop nearby..." He gulped. "A-And she said that you needed other iron axes, s-so here they are." He drew two brand- new iron axes out from the satchel that he kept slung around Hartmut.  
  
Dorcas didn't know what to say as he took the graciously-given gifts. "Thanks, Lowen. I don't really know what to say..."  
  
"'Thank you' is enough. I'm always happy to serve. You know that a knight of Pherae—"  
  
"Uh, Lowen?" Dorcas did NOT want to listen to him ramble on and on about the policies and what-not of Pheraen knights. "Shouldn't we get back to fighting?"  
  
Lowen turned red. "Uh, yes."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
'Man, they talk too much' was the dominant thought on Bartre's mind as he watched Lowen and Dorcas. The battlefield was for fighting, not for conversing! Bartre would show them. He smiled and raised his axe.  
  
"Hyaah!" Bartre race past both Lowen and Dorcas, to show off his courage.  
  
"Hahaha! You can't catch me! I'm Bartre the Brave! Haha—"  
  
"Watch it!" Dorcas had spotted an enemy soldier near Bartre. "I'll get him!"  
  
Bartre had also spotted the soldier. "No, I'll get him!"  
  
Lowen had to avert his eyes from the soldier being killed by the two axe-wielders. Killed? Hah. Chopped up into tiny pieces was more like it. He shuddered. As the lance was Lowen's most comfortable weapon, he had a particular fear of axes. He almost felt sorry for the soldier. Almost.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rebecca watched Eliwood. He looked so...contradictory. His eyes betrayed his naiveness, and yet, the way he carried himself showed him to be an able and responsible leader. The kind of leader that people would WANT to follow, fight, and even die for.  
  
Eliwood looked up to meet Rebecca's eyes. She blushed and lowered hers, suddenly becoming very interested in her hands. 'Oh no,' she thought, 'He must think I'm weird for staring at him so much. I...' She started to bite at her nails. 'I sure hope not.'  
  
It was now Eliwood's turn to examine Rebecca, and he could tell that she was embarrassed. He sighed. Why was it that everytime he was in close proximity with any girl, it was awkward? It definitely wasn't that way with his father and mother...his father... Eliwood clenched his hand around his sword. He couldn't let himself lose focus, because he had to find his father. He had to—  
  
"Look out! Behind you!"  
  
Eliwood swung around at hearing Rebecca's warning to see a brigand running toward them, his eyes blazing with bloodlust. Eliwood's training saved his life (and Rebecca's) that day. He managed to dodge the brigand's attack, and thrust his sword into the brigand's unprotected thigh.  
  
He was now a perfect target. Rebecca grabbed her bow and quickly strung an arrow. All she had to do now was aim and fire—easier said than done. She tried to focus on the target, just like her brother and Wil had taught her, but...those practice targets hadn't been alive. They wouldn't retaliate, and they couldn't...die. She shook her head. This was no time to second-guess herself! She was one of her village's best hunters for goodness sake! Surely shooting this brigand would be as simple as shooting a wild boar... Then she made the mistake of looking into the brigand's eyes.  
  
There was hatred and malice, oh yes, but there was also hurt and pain and...sorrow. Rebecca couldn't do it. She wouldn't—couldn't—kill another human being no matter how savage or evil.  
  
However, the brigand, sensing Rebecca's hesitation, rushed forward, ready and willing to bring her down.  
  
"Rebecca!" The explosive exclamation blasting from right inside her ear, made her let go of the tightened string on her bow. The arrow flew—unaimed and unintentional—to land in the charging brigand's throat.  
  
Instead of a war cry, a gargled choke and blood issued from his mouth. Rebecca had never been more mortified in her entire life. What was happening to her? She hadn't been like this in the last battle...  
  
"Rebecca?" Krista's voice sounded far away. "You alright?" Now, it sounded a little clearer. "Eliwood's taken care of that last brigand, so you're safe..."  
  
Krista's voice had trailed off to let Rebecca comment, but Rebecca had no comment to give.  
  
"...Please be OK...Krista out."  
  
How could she be OK? She had just about killed a fellow human being. A bad one, yes, but... Rebecca hid her face in her hands in an effort to hold back the tears.  
  
She felt a hand on her shoulders and stiffened.  
  
"Rebecca?" It was Eliwood. He sounded worried and—she looked up to see him clearer—tired. She mentally scolded herself. 'You're not the only one who's tired of fighting! Come on. Eliwood's tired too, and HE was the one who actually killed the brigand. Stop being such a crybaby!'  
  
Rebecca wiped her eyes, and put on a small smile.  
  
"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Rebecca swallowed a great amount of fresh air. "I-I guess that I just...just didn't—"  
  
"Want to kill?"  
  
Rebecca froze in shock, and then a bright smile born of gratitude and wonderment lit her face. "Yes! How...did you know...?"  
  
It was Eliwood's turn to smile. "Remember when you helped me get to this fortress? Remember what I said?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I said that I wasn't used to REAL battles, right?"  
  
Again, Rebecca nodded.  
  
"Well," Eliwood paused to try and find the right words that would convey his meaning. "Your predicament is like mine. We are both not used to killing people, no matter how heartless or cruel they are. Even people..." He lifted his sword, which was dripping with the brigand's still- hot blood. "...who wish to kill us."  
  
Rebecca could kind of tell where Eliwood was going with all of this. "So, you're saying that it's hard for both of us to kill a person, even if that person has no problem whatsoever with killing us?"  
  
"Correct." Eliwood nodded. "But...you don't feel like dying, do you?"  
  
Rebecca almost laughed at such a question. "No!"  
  
"Then that is where your struggle comes into play."  
  
Rebecca's urge to laugh stopped. "What? I don't understand..."  
  
Eliwood sighed. "As the son of a marquess, I have a deep sense of self-preservation that has been ingrained into me by my parents and court. So, do I kill to stay alive or have mercy and be killed myself?"  
  
Rebecca's mouth opened in a silent 'Oh' of understanding. "I...never thought about it like that before. But," She hung her head in shame. "I wasn't like this in the last fight! It almost felt, well, RIGHT, to kill those brigands..."  
  
Eliwood smiled in empathy. "That is probably because they were desecrating your home. If a bunch of brigands attacked my home, I would surely feel the same way." He cleared his throat. "I want you to understand, Rebecca, so you will be able to fight." He pulled her close. "I don't want any of my friends getting hurt."  
  
Her heart was beating wildly. 'Friend?' she thought. 'Did he really consider her a friend already?' She couldn't tell if she was thrilled or disappointed. Did she want to be more than that? Rebecca blushed. This was no time for silly daydreaming! They were supposed to be fighting! [A. N. – This is a Rebecca/Wil story. I just got so tired of waiting to write some romance fluff. :P Rebecca just has a little crush on Eliwood, I mean, what girl wouldn't?]  
  
"Um," Eliwood was getting nervous. "S-Shouldn't we...uh...go fight or...something?"  
  
Rebecca looked up at Eliwood in surprise. "Oh! Oh, yes! Of course!" She grabbed her bow and arrows, and started to head off in a random direction.  
  
Eliwood ran to catch up. "Wait! Rebecca, the rest of the group is THAT way!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A young man with blue hair and purplish black armor walked over to a man with a red helmet that covered his face—a guard. The former surveyed the scene before him, and caught a glimpse of bright red hair—Eliwood! He, and his three companions—a sturdy knight, a clever-looking thief, and a sassy, pink-haired cleric—started to move past the guard. Yet, the guard insisted on staying in their way.  
  
"Hey! If you won't let us through, then will you at least tell us what's going on?!" the blue-haired man exclaimed. "Are you just going to stand there and watch?!" He looked quite ready and willing to sock the guard in the jaw.  
  
"Who do you think you are?" the guard asked. "This is Santaruz. What we do here is no affair of a foreign lordling."  
  
The so-called 'foreign lordling' seemed to be holding in his anger by a small thread. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with you there. For you see," He took out his weapon, and Wolf Beil. "The person you're attacking just happens to be a friend of mine."  
  
"A friend? Wha—" The blue-haired man cut down the guard right then and there, in plain view of his companions.  
  
"Ewww!" squealed the pink-haired girl. "I loathe violence!" Then, she was pushed aside by the sneaky-eyed thief. "Humph..." she pouted.  
  
"Nice job." He congratulated. "You're a born fighter, Lord Hector." Hector smiled in appreciation, but was quickly sobered by the appearance of his burly knight friend.  
  
"I do not condone resorting to violence so quickly—"  
  
"There's no time, Oswin!" interrupted Hector. "We gotta help Eliwood!"  
  
Oswin snorted, like he didn't really believe Hector. "Help? That sounds like another excuse to fight."  
  
Hector acted mock serious. "Oswin!"  
  
Oswin sighed and shook his head. "Fine. I'm going..." He picked up his javelin, and headed out.  
  
Hector's eyes followed him as he disappeared onto the battlefield. Then he finally seemed to realize that the thief and cleric were still beside him. "Matthew! You go find a place to hide with Serra!"  
  
Matthew, the thief, didn't look too enthusiastic about Hector's idea. In fact, he looked downright miserable. "H-Hide? W-With...Serra?"  
  
As with Matthew, Serra was also disappointed at Hector's request. "But I want to go!"  
  
"No way!" Hector ordered. Serra stared at him, a question in her bright eyes. Did he really care about their safety? Hector seemed to know that he needed to give a reason. "You'll slow us down!"  
  
So much for caring about our safety... "You're so rude!" complained Serra.  
  
"Haha...I'm going now! Hurry up and hide!" Hector flew into battle, grinning in anticipation.  
  
Serra glared after him, and then tossed her pink pigtails with a huff. She grabbed Matthew's arm. "Come on, Matthew!"  
  
"Help...me..." pleaded Matthew.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Bartre was on a roll. He felt like he could do anything; he thought that he was invincible. Therefore, it was natural for him to go charging straight at an enemy soldier, who saw Bartre and smiled. The soldier believed that he could easily dodge Bartre's reckless attack. He was wrong.  
  
Bartre had not been the brightest student in his class, so he probably didn't know that his chances of landing a blow were slim. Not that it mattered. His unpredictable and reckless way of attacking confused the enemy soldier, who couldn't decide which way to go to get out of the way.  
  
The soldier fell, his eyes wide open and glassy with shock and pain—with Bartre's iron axe plunged so deep in him that the iron part could barely be seen. Even with such a fatal wound, the soldier still struggled for his life. Hector watched him, and impressed with his valiant struggle, gave him a mercy blow to the back of his head.  
  
Hector whistled. "Nice show there, Sir...?"  
  
"My name's Bartre, and there's no 'sir'. It's just Bartre." After answering Hector's unspoken question, Bartre stooped to get his axe out of the dead enemy soldier.  
  
"Here. Let me do that." Hector offered. He then grabbed the axe, and started to wrench it out. A sickening, squelching sound accompanied his action as he slowly drew the axe out. It was stained red with fresh blood, just the way Hector had always imagined a war weapon would look like.  
  
He stood there like a statue—heroic and frozen in time, forever gazing at the weapon painted red in the sunlight.  
  
"Geez... You can have it if you want it so much..."  
  
Hector blinked. "Huh? ...Oh, thanks a whole lot, Bartre. This axe is just so...beautiful...in a fatal kind of way..."  
  
"Ah, heck. Don't mention it. Just—"  
  
"Bartre! Behind you!" Lowen yelled a warning, and just in the nick of time too. Bartre managed to throw himself out of harm's way as an arrow came speeding toward him. A horse, Hartmut, galloped toward the enemy archer at a frightening speed. At the rate Lowen was traveling, his javelin would slice through the archer with no problem.  
  
The archer would not be able to counterattack in time. His demise was imminent, for as fate would have it, Hector wanted to try out his newly- acquired iron axe—on the very same archer that Lowen was going for.  
  
Bystanders would have called him crazy or mad or insane, but only a select few—including Oswin and Eliwood—knew what Hector really was. Battle- happy. Ever since he was little, Oswin remembered, Hector had been the wild child—always sneaking off to fight in the arena with his friends. Thank goodness Eliwood had been there. He had been Hector's voice of reason when that blue-haired ball-of-energy wouldn't listen to anybody else. Oswin smiled. Of course, Hector would only listen to someone who could best him in sparring, which was one activity that Eliwood was surprisingly adept at.  
  
The clash of metal against flesh alerted Oswin to the present situation. The unlucky archer had just been butchered by Lowen's thrown javelin and Hector's axe. Lowen, having seen what Hector intended to do, decided to throw his javelin instead of risk a close-up with his axe. He knew that Hector would never intentionally hurt an ally, but one could never be too careful. (Krista had spied Hector & Co. earlier. She had recognized Matthew and Serra, since they had traveled together with Lyn on her adventure. And so, Krista informed everybody that the man with blue hair and really dark armor—Hector—and the knight in rust-colored armor—Oswin—would be joining them as allies.)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Marcus narrowed his eyes as he entered the town. It was quiet. Too quiet. Where was everybody? No children laughed and played. No women chattered and gossiped in the streets. No men went about doing their jobs. Nothing. It was almost as if a spell had been cast that kept the town still and silent. Marcus didn't know anything about magic, but he DID know that something unnatural was going on here. He hoped that the uncanny aura of this village did not reflect on how Lord Helman was doing...  
  
"Heh heh." Marcus had to hold back an undignifying yelp as an old man appeared out of nowhere.  
  
"W-What do you need, sir?" Marcus believed in being polite to his elders, and yes, even though he himself had aged gracefully throughout many years, this man standing in front of him was definitely older than he was.  
  
"No need to be so formal," the old man croaked. "I have a proposition for you, as I speak on behalf of this town." He made a sweeping gesture.  
  
Marcus looked around again. Was this man a lunatic? There was nobody—wait. As Marcus viewed the town a second time, he could see signs of recent activity, like bread being set out on windowsills to cool. These townspeople weren't gone...they were hiding! But why?  
  
"What is your proposition, and may I ask why your lovely village is so..." Marcus couldn't think of the right word, but the old man seemed to know that he meant.  
  
"It is...Him." Something about the way the old man said the word 'Him', gave Marcus the impression that this was no ordinary man he spoke of.  
  
"Who? Surely not Lord Helman!"  
  
The old man shook his head. "No. However, he does meet with...Him...often." Marcus watched as the man pulled out a beautifully- decorated, leather-bound book. "Use this book to save Lord Helman; that is our proposition. It is a Secret Book, and will improve your skill in battle if you read it. But," the old man warned, "Use it wisely, for only one person may read from it. After that, it will fall apart."  
  
Marcus took the Secret Book. "Thank you for such a valuable item. My comrades and I will save Lord Helman."  
  
The old man nodded, and hobbled off to disappear into the shadows, leaving Marcus with much to think about as he rode out of the village to join his companions in battle.  
  
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Hector was having the time of his life. What more could he want than what he was doing right now? He was swinging his axe fearlessly and ruthlessly, practically mowing down any opposition that happened to come his way. He had already defeated another soldier all by himself, and his tactics were terrifying. In fact, he was so downright scary that foe and friend alike were afraid of coming close to him lest they be hurt—or even killed. Only Oswin, his guardian appointed by Uther, Hector's older brother, was brave enough to get within shouting distance.  
  
As Hector was too awe-inspiring a fighter, an enemy soldier decided to attack Dorcas instead. He thought that Dorcas would be easier to take down. He thought wrong.  
  
Dorcas had never had fast reflexes or a quick tongue, so most people had passed him off as being 'just another fighter' with 'nothing extraordinary going for him'. They had never stopped long enough to notice how his every move had purpose to it, and that he only spoke when he had something meaningful to say. This soldier was making the same errors that those people had, only his error would cost him his life.  
  
With an unemotional, calculating gaze, Dorcas watched the soldier run toward him. 'Relax.' He closed his eyes. 'Let the enemy come to you, and then when he gets close enough...' He could hear the soldier's footsteps get louder and louder until... 'Now make him pay for underestimating you!' Dorcas' eyes shot open, immediately locking onto the soldier. Then the enemy soldier could see nothing but the dazzling light of the sun as it was reflected off of Dorcas' axe. The axe that would so soon end this soldier's career as a fighter, and even worse, end his life.  
  
"Whoo! Dorcas!" called Bartre. "I almost thought you were a goner for a second there! Why did you just stand there like a lump?! If I were you, I would have—"  
  
"I don't like wasting my energy needlessly." Dorcas snapped.  
  
"Well soo-rry, Mr. Grumpypants!"  
  
Dorcas shrugged his shoulders, his anger going as quickly as it had come. "I'm sorry too. Here," He handed Bartre one of the iron axes that Lowen had given him earlier. "Have one of my iron axes. I noticed that you gave yours away to Hector."  
  
Bartre looked embarrassed. "Ah, Dorcas. You don't have to..." Dorcas shrugged and started to put it away.  
  
"But I'll still take it!" exclaimed Bartre as he practically snatched the axe from Dorcas, who rolled his eyes and smiled.  
  
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"Eliwood!" Where were all these blasted brigands coming from?! The fortress, which began as their safe haven, had now turned into their nightmare. Apparently, Zagan had sent the majority of his troops over here, while the rest had been sent to the other side. That probably wouldn't have been too bad, but only she and Eliwood were on this side. They needed help, and fast!  
  
"Eliwood!" Rebecca repeated. "Are you alright?"  
  
Eliwood nodded. "For now, but we can't keep this up forever." He slapped his ear device as though that would make it work better. "Krista, where's that help?!"  
  
His device crackled. "It's coming! Sheesh! Just look behind you! Krista out."  
  
Unfortunately, Eliwood was not allowed to turn around, for yet another brigand engaged him in combat.  
  
"Rebecca!" he yelled. "Turn around and see who's coming!" She nodded and went to do what he said.  
  
It was somebody riding on a horse...Lowen? No. Lowen had golden armor. Then it had to be... "Marcus! Marcus is coming to help us!"  
  
The relief that Eliwood felt was so intense that he let his guard down for a split second. It wasn't that long, but it was long enough for the brigand to see his chance for victory. He lunged toward Eliwood in an effort to unbalance him. It worked. (The brigand didn't want to kill him, because he would be worth so much more alive.) Eliwood lost his grip on his steel sword, and fell to the ground—right where the brigand wanted him.  
  
"No!" Rebecca cried as she loosed an arrow toward the brigand. It lodged itself into his side, and he cried out in pain and rage. He didn't care if Eliwood was worth more alive anymore; the brigand needed to kill to satisfy his anger, and since Rebecca—the object of his rage—was too far away, he would have to make due with Eliwood instead.  
  
Eliwood could not reach his weapon. Rebecca would not be able to shoot another arrow in time. The brigand lifted his axe, triumph in his yellow eyes. Oh yes. Most people would see that Eliwood's death was inevitable. However, Marcus did not see like most people would. He did not see that Eliwood's death was inevitable. Instead, he saw a brigand about to kill him, the one person that he was supposed to protect above all others.  
  
Instinctively, Marcus gripped his sword...and hurled it at Eliwood's attacker. The sword flew, swift and sure, and killed the brigand instantly.  
  
Rebecca would never forget the brigand's face as he died; he almost looked...relieved, all of his anger and bitterness flowing out with his blood. Suddenly, something clicked, and Rebecca understood why she should fight. She and her comrades had a purpose—to live, whereas their enemies' purposes were to kill...and die. Yes, they were human beings, but after having practically sold their lives for the sole purpose of taking other lives...they were better off dead. [A.N.- I'm sorry if Rebecca seems a little, uh, harsh...but I needed for her to have a reason to stop hesitating so much before shooting enemies and stuff.]  
  
"Lord Eliwood! Are you hurt?" Marcus rode up to Eliwood, and jumped off of Roland to give him a hand.  
  
"Yes," thanked Eliwood, "I don't know what would have happened if..."  
  
Marcus nodded. "My duty is to protect you." He then began to ride off.  
  
"Wait!" called Eliwood. "You forgot your sword!"  
  
Marcus looked back over his shoulder. "Keep it."  
  
'Huh?' wondered Rebecca. 'If he gives Eliwood his sword, he won't be able to fight for the rest of this battle. He'll be defenseless...' She gasped as a realization dawned on her. 'Maybe that's what he wants! If enemies go for him, then Eliwood would be safe.' Rebecca tightened her grip on her bow. Marcus may not be able to defend himself, but SHE could—and would—make sure that none of her friends went down while she still had arrows.  
  
Rebecca's premonition came true. As soon as an enemy mercenary saw that Marcus could no longer defend himself, he attacked. Marcus just smiled, and neatly dodged. These badly-trained mercenaries were no match for him, but Rebecca strung an arrow, just in case. One could never be too careful. At least, the enemies went for Marcus now instead of...oh no, Eliwood!  
  
Had the mercenary just been a diversion? A brigand was attacking Eliwood! This wasn't supposed to happen! Rebecca stood, torn between helping Eliwood or helping Marcus, who couldn't dodge the mercenary's attacks forever. If she helped Eliwood, then Marcus might get hurt; and if she helped Marcus, then Eliwood's life would be in danger.  
  
"Gah!" That was Eliwood! Rebecca quickly made up her mind, and aimed at the brigand who was attacking him. She was sure Marcus would understand...wouldn't he rather have Eliwood safe? Sure he would...  
  
The string was tense and so ready to be released—Rebecca could feel it. This would be a perfect shot—straight through the heart.  
  
"Rebecca wait!" It was Krista. "Don't shoot HIM! Help Marcus with that mercenary! Dorcas is coming to help Eliwood, so don't worry. Krista out."  
  
The string was pulled back too far. Rebecca wouldn't have time to aim before she let the arrow fly. All she could do was pray that her arrow would hit the mercenary and not Marcus.  
  
The arrow sped toward the mercenary, and just barely nicked him in the side. Rebecca would have cursed, but she was not that kind of girl. Instead, she reached into her pack to retrieve another arrow. She froze in horror. She had only one arrow left.  
  
Panic swept over her, like a cold wind chilling her to the very core of her being. One arrow. Her hand moved across the arrow, feeling the sharp point, the slender middle, the soft feathers at the end. An arrow had never seemed so precious to her before. What would she do after it was gone? There were still a lot of enemies left...  
  
"Rebecca!" She snapped out of her self-imposed shock. "Move out of the way! What are you doing?!  
  
Someone pushed her to the ground, and she lay there as one frozen. Rebecca couldn't see (since her face was on the ground) but her other senses seemed to make up for that. She could hear swords and axes clashing, smell the sweet scent of earth mingled with the sour odor of battle, and feel the vibrations of fighting through the trembling ground. She knew that she was vulnerable on the ground, but something held her down—her fear.  
  
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Rebecca was safe for now, for Eliwood had pushed her out of the way of a charging mercenary. He couldn't understand why she hadn't moved out of the way to begin with, but he couldn't deal with that right now. He had a mercenary to deal with. He whipped out his newly-acquired iron sword, and stood protectively in front of Rebecca, right in the way of the mercenary.  
  
The Pheraen lordling watched the attacker's sword arm, so he would be able to dodge out of the way if necessary. He could not count on anybody coming to his rescue, since Marcus was weapon-less and Rebecca looked like she had only one arrow left. He had to take charge, and he had to take it NOW!  
  
"Hyaah!" Eliwood plunged his sword...right into the air that the mercenary had occupied seconds earlier. The full force of his blow not connecting with anything, made Eliwood lose his balance. He knew the mercenary would get him now, and he grimaced as he thought of what would happen to his mother and the kingdom without him...or his father. His father. If only he had been able to see him one last time...  
  
"Eliwood!" Lowen galloped up on Hartmut to stick the mercenary with his lance. Eliwood couldn't believe his luck. He would have to tell Marcus to be nicer to Lowen, but he seriously doubted if that would ever happen. Eliwood even tried to picture what Marcus would look like being nice, and he almost burst out laughing.  
  
Lowen stared at Eliwood, who looked like he was about to go into hysterics. "Uh...Eliwood?"  
  
The redhead looked up at Lowen. "Yes?"  
  
"Well, you look kind of..." Lowen shrugged. "...weird. Pardon me for saying such—"  
  
"Oh that's fine," interrupted Eliwood, "I just tried to picture Marcus being...nice."  
  
A very funny picture popped into Lowen's mind. It was Marcus trying to smile. Suddenly he felt a strong urge to laugh...  
  
"See?" asked Eliwood. "Funny, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, it's quite—" Lowen grabbed his sword. "Look out!"  
  
Eliwood heard the whistling of something traveling quickly through the air, and then all he could feel was pain. His right shoulder was on fire, and his mind was dimly registering the fact that an arrow must have hit him. It was getting too hard to think, too painful to do much of anything...  
  
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Rebecca forced herself up from the ground. One of her friends got shot because of her, so she no longer cared if she only had one arrow left. She would find that archer and make him pay for what he did to Eliwood!  
  
She scanned the battlefield for any sign of that enemy archer. Where was that—there! Rebecca smiled in anticipation. Oh, revenge would be so sweet. The archer's attention was focused on Eliwood, so this was her chance. She strung her last arrow, pulled the string back, aimed at the archer, and let it fly.  
  
It was a perfect shot. The archer never knew what hit him before the arrow ended his life instantly. Part of Rebecca was revolted at how coldly she had killed the archer, but her other, stronger part relished in the fact that the archer would never harm anyone again—especially one of her friends.  
  
Well that was that. She had no more arrows. Rebecca had expected to feel afraid and vulnerable, but instead she felt...relieved and confident. The relief came from not having to kill anyone anymore, and the confidence spouted from the faith that she had in the ability of her friends to take care of everything. Her confidence was confirmed as she watched Bartre take care of another brigand. Was that the last of the enemies? No...they still had to defeat Zagan and another mercenary.  
  
The device in her ear crackled. "Hey, Rebecca?"  
  
"Yep?"  
  
"Is something the matter? You're just standing there..."  
  
Rebecca smiled. "Oh, don't worry. I just ran out of arrows. That's all. I'm—"  
  
"What?!" Krista exploded. "Why didn't you say something?! I would have told someone to come and get you out of the really heavy fighting!" Rebecca just laughed.  
  
"What are you laughing at?! Zagan is still alive you know!" Krista took a deep breath. "Sorry...I just get really tense when I'm doing my job... Hey, I've gotta go tactinize (or whatever we tacticians do) so... Krista—"  
  
"Out!" finished Rebecca.  
  
"...You're impossible!" joked Krista. "I'm outta here."  
  
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Marcus slew the enemy mercenary with quick efficiency. Was that the last of them? Wait, where was that snake Zagan hiding? Marcus hated sneaky enemies most of all. He could take any direct hit that got thrown at him, but a surprise attack? He shook his head. He would just have to be prepared and on his guard. Besides, Eliwood's life—as well as his own—hung in the balance.  
  
Zagan watched and waited. Soon that stupid bodyguard—Marcus, or whatever his name was—would let down his guard, and then... He licked his lips at the thought of the Dark Master's reward when he presented Him with that lordling brat's head. It was almost time...  
  
Something fell was in the air. Eliwood could feel it. And yes, the arrow planted in his shoulder was part of this bad feeling, but the majority came from...something, or someone, else. Marcus was looking out for him, but he still couldn't shake his feeling of danger.  
  
Marcus was getting nervous, not that he would ever admit it. The battlefield was still, and the stillness was what made him nervous. This calm was like the eye of the storm or the eerie silence before a tornado hits. Whatever happened, Marcus knew that he must be prepared for the "tornado", no matter what.  
  
It was so tense! Rebecca surveyed the battlefield with her forest- green eyes. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Even Bartre seemed to understand that something important was going to happen soon. Like the string on her bow, there was only so much stress that she could undergo. Oh, she wished that the something would happen already! She was about to get her wish.  
  
Zagan had waited long enough. Now was the time to strike!  
  
Pain made him dizzy and clouded his vision. Eliwood would not be able to hold on to consciousness forever, but he knew that he had to hold on for a little bit longer. Just a little bit...  
  
Rebecca watched in horror as a wild-eyed Zagan sprang out of his hiding place on the other side of the mountain. Never before had she seen such malice, anger, and strength combined into one fiery attack. It was as if Zagan was fighting for HIS life—and maybe he was. Rebecca remembered when Zagan had first appeared. Hadn't he said that someone wanted Eliwood dead? Perhaps that meant that Zagan's own life would be forfeit if he did not get his "job" done. Whatever the case, surely Marcus would stop this dynamic attack.  
  
Marcus was a trained and decorated knight of Pherae with one sole duty—to protect Eliwood. This duty was foremost on his mind when he was confronted by Zagan's vicious attack. He knew he could not allow Zagan to get past his sword (which Lowen had let him borrow to replace the iron sword he had given to Eliwood), but... The ferocity of Zagan's attack caught him by surprise, and Marcus only managed to cut him before Zagan was behind him. Behind him, and running straight toward Eliwood.  
  
Zagan was elated, filled with the joy of battle and triumph. He saw his prey look at him straight in the eyes, an unwavering and determined gaze. So, his prey would die with honor would he? Zagan smiled. This would be too easy. He laughed; it was a cold and mirthless laugh—the laugh of pure evil, the laugh of...Him.  
  
Rebecca closed her eyes and clapped her hands over her ears as Zagan laughed. She trembled in the inevitability of what was going to happen next. If only she hadn't wasted that last arrow! Then Zagan wouldn't be laughing anymore, oh no. He would—huh? She uncovered her ears. Zagan wasn't laughing. She opened her eyes. Had something happ—oh my! Rebecca quickly shut her eyes, but the picture stayed with her. Zagan skewered, like the boars she used to hunt, on Eliwood's sword. He definitely wouldn't be laughing anymore.  
  
Krista let out the breath she had been holding. That was a close call. Too close. She certainly had to work on her tactician skills more. They were a little rusty from that year of rest she had had after her journey with Lyn. Oh well, at least everyone was still alive. She a feeling that things were not going so well at Castle Santaruz. They had to keep going.  
  
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Phew! That was a LOT. Maybe next time, I'll just make it into two chapters... But anyway...  
  
Have any comments, questions, or suggestions? Then REVIEW! Thanks!  
  
Random questions: 1) What's your favorite Rebecca pair—with Wil, Raven, Lowen, Sain, or some other guy? Because I was going to try out a Raven/Rebecca story next. 2) Who's the eighth hero? I watched the beginning of Eliwood's story where they name all the heroes, and they only named seven! I even watched it twice just to make sure! They named Roland, Hartmut, St.Elimine, Hanon, Barigan, Durban, and Athos. Count it. Seven! *confused*  
  
Random fact: There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't. (I didn't make that up, so I can take no credit. The credit goes to someplace on the Internet, but I can't remember where... I just thought it was funny!)  
  
Rebecca: Now be nice people and review, so gentleness28 here can get to writing! *cracks whip*  
  
Me: Why are you being so mean?? I'm writing another story for you!  
  
Rebecca: Really? *puts whip away and tries to act innocent* See? I'm being nice!  
  
Me: *sweatdrop* 


	5. New Companions

Disclaimer: Come on, you know I don't any of the characters...blah blah blah...  
  
Rebecca: Alright! Another chapter already! It looks like I'm doing my job well. ^^  
  
Me: Yeah...but the next one will probably take a long time, because I'm AP testing tomorrow, and I probably won't want to do any writing for a LONG time after that.  
  
Rebecca: Maybe you should consider not writing for a while, because you just wrote one long run-on sentence.  
  
Me: ...Leave me alone!  
  
Rebecca: Sorry, it's my duty! ^________^ Now onto the thanks!  
  
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Houyoku: Yes! Another review from you! I consider you the authority on the Rebecca/Wil/Dan story, so it's so awesome that you would read and review mine. It's OK to be lazy sometimes. I'm lazy a lot, so I can't say anything! Yeah, I like writing the battle chapters and stuff, because I actually have a guide that I write by. Thanks again for the review!  
  
Thatdoesn'tmatter: I'm glad that you were the first one to answer my random question! Those things are always nice to know. Yeah, Wil or Raven are good pairs for Rebecca in my opinion too (and maybe Lowen or Sain, too!)  
  
The Story Master 125: Whoa...a review in all CAPITAL LETTERS! Coolness! Glad you like the longness of my last chapter, but this chapter is quite short compared to the last one... I think I got lazy or something... I'm just trying to wait until the part where Wil comes in, but that's about four battles away! *sigh* Oh well...  
  
Hyliansage: Thanks for the nice comment on my battle scenes! I do try! ^^ I love Rebecca/Wil too! They're just so perfect for each other, since they used to know each other as children and all that good stuff. Hm...Rebecca's son, Wolt, does look an awful lot like Wil...just coincidence? I think not. ^^ Yeah, I'm not very far in the game...@.@ Huh? Rebecca and Raven don't really become a couple? ...Then why are there so many fics about them—even more than Rebecca/Wil?! Yes! I want her endings, pleeease! I guess I'll email you for them...hehehe.  
  
Burning_phoneix: Wow! That's the coolest review I think I've ever gotten...clever! Oh, thanks for the spelling correction. I wouldn't think the spellcheck would know how to spell Pegasii. Yeah, just now, the spellcheck said that I spelled it wrong... Thanks again!  
  
Mornie: Aww! You're really sweet, saying all that stuff about how I portray my characters...^___^. Yeah, I was getting so tired of waiting for Wil to show up, and I NEEDED to write some romance fluff! Hmm...romance with Wil...or Sain? Interesting. I know that if you get her support with Sain up to A, she does marry him, but nobody's really talked about that couple a lot. That's awesome!  
  
????: You're back! Yay! Yeah, the battle scenes take a lot of time to write, but I think they're worth the effort...hopefully. I do wish that I could skip some though, just so Wil could hurry up and get here! Hey, spoilers are all good! Please tell me!!!! *puppy-dog eyes*  
  
SweetMisery430: *blush* You think my story's well-written? How sweet of you! Thanks for the answering my questions—it's OK if somebody else told me already. Confirmation is always good! Rebecca/Wil all the way!!!  
  
DTN: You killed homework time to read my story? Wow...I never thought that you would sacrifice so much to read it...^_______^ (I'm killing homework time by writing it!) Yep, Rebecca/Wil rocks, and I guess Rebecca/Raven is getting popular by all the fanfiction... There's got to be more fics about Rebecca and Wil! Hey, your brother may have beat the game, but you're way ahead of me! (I'm so far behind in the game...)  
  
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They were sitting around the campfire—Rebecca, Marcus, Bartre, Dorcas, Eliwood, and the new arrivals, Hector and Oswin. Krista was off taking a walk to let off some stress, and Lowen was busy preparing their next meal. Rebecca and Lowen (the designated cooks) took turns making meals, since they were the only ones that could really cook. Lowen would not let anyone else touch his precious cooking utensils since Bartre's wonderful cooking episode the day before.  
  
'So, Hector was an old friend of Eliwood...' mused Rebecca. They could certainly use more help since someone obviously wanted Eliwood dead. But why? She sighed in resignation. This was getting stranger and stranger all the time, but right now she wouldn't try to figure it out. Perhaps when they made it to Castle Santaruz everything would be made clear. She sure hoped so... Suddenly, a high-pitched shrill pierced the air.  
  
"Lord Hector! Why didn't you tell me the fighting was done!?" A girl with bright pink pigtails burst out of the nearby forest to glare at Hector. A very harassed and apologetic-looking young man in a red cloak was dragged along behind her.  
  
"I apologize for the intrusion," the young man panted. "I just couldn't restrain her any longer!"  
  
Rebecca stifled a laugh, while Eliwood looked slightly amused. "Are these some of your companions, Hector?"  
  
Hector shrugged his shoulders. "Guess they are. One might have hoped for better, but..."  
  
"That was SO uncalled for!" shouted the pink-haired girl. "I can't believe you said that!" She turned to the harassed young man, and laid a hand on his shoulder in pity. "Matthew, did you hear what he just said about you?"  
  
That was as much as Matthew could take, and Rebecca could feel an explosion about to happen. "ME?!" he yelled. "He was talking about you!"  
  
Fortunately, Eliwood—always the skilled diplomat—tried to stop a catfight from breaking out by asking Hector to introduce them.  
  
Hector, who was betting with Bartre on who would win—the pink-haired girl, probably—quickly put his moneybag away, looking properly ashamed of himself. ("Darn!" said Bartre.)  
  
"Uh, the noisy one..." Hector pointed to the girl. "...is Serra, and believe it or not, she's a cleric." Rebecca felt her mouth drop ten feet in shock. Weren't clerics supposed to be, well, quiet?  
  
The cleric winked. "Yep, I'm Serra, my lord. Pleased to meet you." She then started to vigorously shake Eliwood's hand.  
  
"And this..." Hector continued as he motioned for the young man behind Serra to step forward, "...is Matthew. He does a lot of...uh...sneaking around."  
  
The guy introduced as Matthew, bowed to Eliwood. "My lord."  
  
Eliwood looked slightly suspicious. "Sneaking...around...?"  
  
"Well...I, er..." Matthew became nervous under Eliwood's polite but obvious interrogation. "I gather information, and open doors, chests, and such. You could say I've got...nimble fingers."  
  
Eliwood gave Hector a piercing gaze. "Sounds like...a thief's kind of work..."  
  
Hector just shrugged, acting like it wasn't such a big deal. "Well... Don't worry about it."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Your journey..." Hector interrupted. He sounded so serious that Eliwood shut his mouth on whatever he had been going to say. "I suspect that it'll be harder than you imagined. You may have to accept things like this if you want to survive." Rebecca was impressed. 'So the fighter Hector actually DOES think from time to time...' she thought.  
  
Eliwood looked at Hector curiously and maybe a little suspiciously. "What is it, Hector? Do you know something?"  
  
"Nothing specific, but..." Hector paused, and everyone leaned in so they could hear better—even Bartre was interested although he tried not to show it. "Rumors abound. A league of assassins from Bern has been moving around in Lycia." At this statement, Dorcas coughed slightly, and Rebecca remembered that Bern had been his birthplace. "Experienced bounty hunters and mercenaries are vanishing..."  
  
"Which reminds me," Eliwood jumped in. "One of the men who attacked us said something odd." He seemed unwilling to go into more detail. Rebecca couldn't really blame him. They HAD tried to kill him after all...  
  
Marcus spoke up to rescue Eliwood from having to say anymore. "Lord Eliwood, if I may?"  
  
Eliwood gave Marcus a gratifying look. "Yes, of course. Thank you, Marcus."  
  
"Very well," Marcus continued. "The apparent leader of that gang of thugs indicated that someone was watching Lord Eliwood... And that someone needed him dead." Rebecca shuddered, remembering how ruthless Zagan had been.  
  
"Hmm...troubling news..." replied Hector. Then he seemed to have a revelation dawn upon him. "Actually, now that you mention it, a guard was watching the fight when we arrived. He even had the nerve to call himself a knight of Santaruz, and yet he just stood there and let a lord be attacked. I think that he was planning on seeing you die."  
  
"Something must have happened with Lord Helman." Marcus took out the Secret Book he had acquired from a nearby village. "When I went into a village, they told me to save him. Apparently, the villagers know that something is going on, but they are powerless to stop it. We have to get to Castle Santaruz, and quickly!"  
  
"Eeeeeee!" Everyone jumped and grabbed their weapons. Rebecca had gotten more arrows from a nearby shop, and now she strung one, ready to shoot at an enemy. "Krista! Is that really you???? It's been far too long!" Serra squealed again, and ran to crush poor Krista in a hug. Rebecca laughed and put her bow down. It was only a false alarm...  
  
Krista had just come back from her self-restoring walk to be squealed at and hugged by Serra. She would definitely need to go on another walk after this horrific event...even though it was nice to see her old friend again. It took Krista a while before she realized that Serra was still talking. "You missed me, didn't you? Course you did! I knew it! Hehehe!"  
  
"Huh?" asked Krista. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, didn't I tell you before?" Krista gave Serra a blank look. "I'm in the employ of Ostia, Lycia's ruling territory. I'll be here to help just like before! Aren't you lucky!!!" Lucky was the last thing that Krista felt, but it would be nice to have a healer again. Too bad Erk wasn't here to blast the enemies away with his magic. He must have finally had enough of Serra...  
  
Matthew rescued Krista from the hands of Serra, by shoving her out of the way. ("How rude!" scoffed Serra.) "Hi! How have you been, Krista?"  
  
Krista's eyes widened in surprise as she saw yet another of her old comrades. "Do you work for Ostia too, Matthew?"  
  
"Eh? My secret's revealed?" He laughed nervously and ran a hand through his light brown hair. "Yes, it's true. Sad to say it, but my guise as a common thief was a ruse... I've served House Ostia for some time as a spy of sorts."  
  
Krista raised her right eyebrow in disbelief. She had never seen Matthew as someone who would work for someone else...  
  
"Surprised?" asked Matthew. "Well, regardless, we'll be traveling again, so here's to our mutual survival!"  
  
Krista smiled. With the addition of Hector, Oswin, Serra, and Matthew, their group was pretty formidable. Unfortunately, that also meant four more mouths to feed...  
  
"Hey everybody!" Lowen called. "Lunch's ready and waiting!" Bartre sprang up and sped to get his food, while Dorcas rolled his eyes and sighed. Marcus got up slowly and with as much dignity as he could muster—then his stomach rumbled loudly.  
  
"Oh forget it!" Marcus exclaimed as he ran stiffly to catch up with Bartre and Dorcas.  
  
Krista caught Rebecca's and Serra's eyes, and they all started giggling insanely. Then they immediately ran to get their lunch too.  
  
"Well my friends," said Hector, addressing Oswin, Eliwood, and Matthew. "Shall we join them?"  
  
Eliwood smiled. "The last one there's a rotten egg!" He took off running.  
  
"Not fair, Eliwood!" yelled Hector as he also took of running.  
  
Matthew turned to look at Oswin. "Enjoy being a rotten egg!" he laughed as he rushed off to get his lunch, easily passing both Hector and Eliwood who were hindered by their armor.  
  
Oswin looked down to inspect his own bulky armor, and sighed. It was going to be a long day...  
  
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Helman paced back and forth, waiting for His inevitable arrival. How could he have gotten into this mess? It would have to stop! He, Lord Helman, the Marquess of Santaruz, would see to it.  
  
A chilling gust of wind signaled His arrival before He actually appeared. He had the long, dark cloak on again, so Helman could only see half of His face. The one eye that could be seen glinted golden with mixed annoyance and...humor? Helman shook his head. He wouldn't be swayed by Him this time. He would stand his ground, and protect Eliwood.  
  
"Master Ephidel! What's the meaning of this?"  
  
The man with golden eyes—Ephidel—cocked his head as if in innocent ignorance. "Peace, Lord Helman. What's wrong?"  
  
"You said that you were just going to frighten Eliwood! Your men almost killed him!" Helman was breathing heavily with the rage of someone who has been betrayed. "My patience is at an end! I've decided to tell Eliwood everything and apologize."  
  
"...You would betray us?" Ephidel asked with quiet intensity.  
  
Helman should have heard a warning in Ephidel's voice, but he was too angry to pay any attention to it. "I'm tired of you and the Black Fang! Remove yourself from my castle! Your presence pains me!"  
  
"Lord Helman..." Again, Ephidel spoke with a hint of malice in his voice. "Is there nothing that I can do to change your mind?"  
  
"Nothing!"  
  
"In that case..." A knowing smile crossed Ephidel's lips. "You're no longer of any use."  
  
"Huh?" Before Helman fully realized what was happening, he was on the floor, Ephidel's blade drawing his life out of him. "Gaa..urrgh..."  
  
Ephidel watched Helman as he struggled for his life. Ephidel had always preferred slow deaths to quick ones for they let the person's quintessence ripen. He smiled in anticipation, and then, with a swish of his dark cloak, he was gone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After everybody had had their fill of lunch, they set out on their way again. Soon after setting out, Eliwood got the strangest feeling that something wasn't right with Lord Helman. His uneasiness spread to all the other members of the group, and nobody seemed to want to speak about anything. Even Serra was quiet—for once in her life. Rebecca took this rare opportunity to observe her new companions.  
  
First, there was Lord Hector, or just Hector, as most of the group were apt to call him. The only people that used his title were Oswin, Matthew, and sometimes, Serra. He was so tall that Rebecca had to crane her neck a little to see his face clearly; she could probably get lost in his shadow—it was so massive. Unlike most other people of the upper class, Hector's face was open to where she could read his emotions. She could tell that he was worried, which somehow surprised her—she didn't think he was one who worried at all. At first, she had thought that he was just another brute, who fought a lot and never bothered to listen to his brain—much less, his heart. But...that just wasn't true. His concern for Eliwood was genuine, and Rebecca believed that she could trust anyone that Eliwood trusted.  
  
Then there was Oswin. He had sandy brown hair, rustic red armor, and an expression that never changed no matter what he was feeling. He was supposed to be Hector's guardian, but Rebecca severely doubted that Hector needed one—he could definitely take care of himself in a battle. She smiled, remembering how he always joked about Oswin looking like an old man, because he had to take care of him. Oswin couldn't be THAT old...surely not more than thirty-something...oh well. However old he was, he could sure handle Hector with a hard hand.  
  
After Oswin, Rebecca looked toward Matthew's direction. As a thief, he had a knack of being what could only be described as...nondescript—all except for his eyes and his bright, red cloak. His eyes were sharp with cleverness and shrewdness, the perfect eyes for spying a treasure chest amidst the chaos of battle, and his cloak... Well, Rebecca thought that red was a strange color for a thief to wear, since they were all about stealth and secrecy...or were they? Maybe she would ask him about it later.  
  
The last of the new members of the group was Serra. What could be said about her? She had pink pigtails, a high voice that would scare the bravest brigand into surrender, a white cleric's outfit, and a very...interesting...personality. Rebecca smiled. She didn't really mind Serra's voice (as long as it wasn't directed toward her), and having another girl around to talk to was pretty cool. Not to mention that her skills as a healer would come in handy as they fought their way to find Eliwood's father, for she had already patched everyone up from the last fight. Krista was so happy to have a healer again, but she kept talking about someone named Erk, who apparently used magic. Rebecca sighed; she would have liked to see some offensive magic...  
  
As Rebecca was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that they had traveled all the way to Castle Santaruz until...  
  
"There's the castle, Eliwood!" Hector was the first one to spot their destination.  
  
Eliwood stared at Castle Santaruz, a look of determination and concern etched on his weary face. "I have to speak with Lord Helman..."  
  
Before Eliwood could finish his statement, a fierce-looking man with a green beard came up, and startled everyone. "Not if I, Boies, have anything to do with it, laddie!" Rebecca was about to get an arrow out, but Krista stopped her.  
  
"Boies could kill Eliwood way before you shot your arrow, Rebecca." Krista whispered. "I think he's just here to intimidate us, for now..." Rebecca nodded her understanding, and put her arrow back.  
  
"Who are you?" Eliwood asked diplomatically, showing neither fear nor anxiety, even though Rebecca was sure that he was feeling both.  
  
Boies laughed. "Who am I? Do better to worry about yourself. You'll be worm's meat before much longer."  
  
"Think so?" Hector jumped between Eliwood and Boies, ready to defend his friend. "My axe'll change your mind!"  
  
Again, Boies laughed. Rebecca was starting to dislike him even more. "Ha! The cub things he's a wolf! Your bite match your bark?" He then began to walk away, but turned around to address Hector once more. "Tell you what. If you make it to the castle alive, we'll find out, eh? Hahaha!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A young man with a long black braid, a Sacaen from the looks of his clothes, gazed out at the battlefield he was on. It was his first job, and he couldn't lose it. But...he knew in his heart that he shouldn't have gotten involved in this ugly bunch at all.  
  
"Hey, you!" The Sacaen looked around to find out who was speaking to him. His eyes rested upon a bucktooth bandit. "Yeah, new dog! Get this right, or you're gone!"  
  
The Sacaen sighed. "I know, I know. I just got this job, and I don't want to lose it! I've gotta have gold to eat! Don't want to repeat that time I passed out in Caelin...oooh." He shuddered at the memory. "If it hadn't been for that man...Matthew? I would've starved to death..."  
  
The bandit lost patience with the Sacaen. "What are mumbling about? Get here now!"  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm coming!" complied the Sacaen. "At least I've got work now!" He prepared his Killing Edge, a beautifully deadly sword that lived up to its name, and waited for orders.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hector had not stopped glaring since Boies had gone away. In fact, his glaring was getting on Rebecca's nerves so much that she was about to say something to him. However, Krista beat her to it.  
  
"Get a grip!" she shouted. "He hurt your pride. So what? All you have to do now is make it to Castle Santaruz alive and show him up!" She smiled and handed Hector and the rest of the newcomers their own ear devices. "Sound simple enough for you?"  
  
Hector looked confused. "Huh? Krista, what are these?"  
  
"They're Krista's special ear device things. Duh!" Serra told Hector, looking proud of herself for knowing information that was important.  
  
Krista gave a little laugh. "Put it in like this..." She proceeded to show Hector (and Oswin) exactly how to put her devices in. "...And then I'll be able to talk to you and give you directions and stuff like that."  
  
"Fine." Hector declared. "Can we hurry up and fight?"  
  
"Yeah!" agreed Bartre. Dorcas sighed and pulled out his axe.  
  
Krista rolled her eyes. "I guess so...if everyone else is ready..."  
  
Rebecca watched everyone else nod in affirmation, and then concurred—agreed—herself.  
  
Krista smiled. "Alright. I'll just go scout out the battlefield, and then..." She pointed to her right ear. "You'll hear from me."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rebecca: What? You're stopping?  
  
Me: Give me a break...I've been testing for 4 HOURS! Standardized tests are such a waste of time...  
  
Rebecca: Actually, the AP tests require some knowledge, so I don't believe that they're a waste of ti—  
  
Me: Don't you dare finish that statement!  
  
Rebecca: ^_____^  
  
Me: *sigh* Oh well... Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! I know it was kinda short, but if I combined this with a battle chapter...too much to write for one chapter!  
  
Rebecca: No, you're just lazy.  
  
Me: Hey, that was uncalled for!  
  
Rebecca: It's the truth.  
  
Me: @____@ I can't deal with you right now...  
  
Rebecca: Then don't. Just tell the nice people to review, and go on with your life.  
  
Me: OK... Be nice people and REVIEW! Thanks!  
  
Rebecca: That wasn't so hard now was it?  
  
Me: ...Fine. It wasn't that hard. Are you happy now?  
  
Rebecca: Yep! *pats me on the head*  
  
Me: ...  
  
Random question: Do any of you have a good name for Krista's "ear devices"? I'm getting really tired of calling them that...but I'm not good at making up names. Your help is greatly appreciated!  
  
Random fact: All Rebecca/Wil lovers MUST, and I repeat, MUST, see this picture! ent=rebeccawillwolt.jpg Isn't it cute???? ...............Oh no! Somehow, this link doesn't work or something in my story...so...I'll just tell y'all how to get there. First go to photobucket.com, and then in the box, type in Mgoblue201. See all the wonderful topics you can click on? Well, click on Rebecca and bask in all the lovely pictures! The one I wanted y'all to see was the one with Rebecca and Wil and their son, Wolt. Sorry the link didn't work... 


	6. Lord Helman of Santaruz

Rebecca: Gentleness28 does not own Fire Emblem or the Turn-By-Turn walkthrough by Apujanata, even though she really wants to.  
  
Me: TT  
  
Rebecca: Aww...why don't you say thank-you to the nice reviewers? That might make you happy.  
  
Me: ::sniff:: OK...

* * *

The Story Master 125: Hahaha! Your review was great! Yeah, I forgot to call Oswin a rotten egg, but you did! :P Oooh...nice name for the ear thingies. Communicators...I think that's what I'm going to call them! Thanks for the suggestion! Aww...you're plotting the sue the AP tests? How sweet! ::smiles evilly:: Can I help? Hehehe. I think that suing would be so much fun...but then we'd probably get in so much legal trouble that it wouldn't be worth it in the end... I'd still sue them, though! :P I'm glad you like 'Broken Flower'! I have to wait until I'm in the right mood to update that one, though, because it's an angsty fic and I don't write those very well...TT. Thanks again for your review!  
  
Houyoku: Yeah, I was wondering about your last review...hehehe. Your reviews get cut off whenever you don't log in? Maybe it's a sign from FF.net? :P Aww...give yourself a little credit! At least your laid-back chapters are well-written! Oh, thanks for the information on why Rebecca and Eliwood can't get together. I knew that Roy was Eliwood's son and that Wolt was Rebecca's son, but I just never put two and two together...::shrugs:: Raven smiled at Rebecca? Cuteness! They kind of do make a cute couple, but I still like Rebecca/Wil better! Hm...'command deliverers'? Very creative! Thanks for the suggestion and the review! Hey, I love your ramblings!  
  
Hyliansage: Your welcome for the review! I'm always happy to review your stories. ::shiny eyes:: Oh, I know! That picture with Rebecca, Wil, and Wolt is so cute!! I wish I could draw like that... Yeah, I think that I'm going to call my little device things 'Communicators', so thank you! ::nods:: Matthew is the best! Wow...I never thought that he would wear red so people would suspect him less...awesome! See? He's so smart. I can't wait for Guy to appear in your fic! I'm glad I emailed you. Hm...well, I can't blame Rebecca for saying she liked what Raven looked like...I do too...hehehe. Aww...your rambles are the best! You update soon too, and thankies for reviewing!  
  
Dark Miroku: ::smiles:: I'm glad you like this story! Oooh...great suggestion! I love Pent and Louise too! I could have never thought of Louise helping Rebecca become a Sniper on my own... I will definitely use this in my story, but it'll probably take a while for Pent and Louise to appear...since they're many chapters away in the actual game...waah. Oh well... Thanks for reviewing! Oh, and for the very creative suggestion on what my little device things should be called!   
  
Burningphoneix: ::blush:: Wow...I'm sure my story wasn't that great... You're so sweet! But now I have a standard to live up to...darn... I'll try to keep up the good work, but sometimes it's hard when you have no inspiration...like me, right now...::sigh:: Do you have any stories? You sound like you would be a really great writer! Thanks again for the wonderful review!  
  
????: Yes! I'm glad you liked the picture! I sure wish I could draw like that... Hehehe...I love Serra too, and yes, she's probably going to end up with Erk. Their A support is so funny, and so is their ending! Yeah, Hector thinking is a little bit...strange...heh heh. I want Wil to come into the story too! ::cries:: It's going to take so long...waah. Hehehe. Thanks for the clear-up on why Rebecca can't possibly end up with Eliwood...yeah, it would be pretty scary to have your nanny have a crush on your dad...::shudder:: Don't worry, I don't really like Ninian either, so Eliwood will probably be paired with Lyn. Yay for them! Wow...Wil's seventeen? He seemed younger to me for some reason...::shrugs:: Wow...you're so creative! I love your suggestion on what should happen in my story! I will unquestionably put them into my story! Hehehe...it's going to turn into such a soap opera... Aww...I'm honored that this is one of your favorite stories...::bows:: Thanks for all the suggestions and the review!  
  
DTN: ::bounce bounce:: I'm so happy that you like my story! Wow...you like my detail? Thanks! I try hard to make my fics detailed, but I fail too often...waah... Yes, picture, PICTURE! It's so cute! ::dies of the cuteness:: Um...sorry about that...I guess I got a little too excited about the picture...hehehe. Well, thanks for the review!!  
  
Kyle the Crazy American: I'm glad you had constructive criticism for me...I like that. Yeah, Bartre probably doesn't talk that articulately...poor guy. He needs to get an edumacation with Hookd On Phoniks...yeah...sorry, that was a really bad attempt at humor... Yep, I think that he's a better fighter than Dorcas too. Thanks again for the nice review!

* * *

"Alright everybody," Krista began. "It looks like there are a lot of lance-wielders over to the west of us, so Dorcas and Bartre..." They both nodded as they heard their names. "That will be your area to take care of. Take Marcus along with you as backup." They hurried to do her bidding. "Now, the rest of you—"  
  
"Um, Krista?" Eliwood politely interrupted. "Might I go with them as well?"  
  
Krista seemed slightly taken aback. "Well...I suppose so..." she answered. "But may I ask why? We could really use your help to the south..."  
  
"I know..." Eliwood confirmed. "However, Marcus risked his life by giving me his steel sword, and now I feel that I should give it back as..." He struggled to find the right word.  
  
"...retribution?" offered Krista.  
  
"Yes. Exactly." Eliwood pulled out the steel sword, glanced at Marcus, and then turned his sky-blue eyes onto Krista. "You understand, right?"  
  
Krista sighed. "Fine, fine. Do what you have to do..."  
  
"Thanks, Krista!" cried the red-haired noble as he ran to catch up with Marcus.  
  
Krista muttered something under her breath, and then turned around to see who was left—Rebecca, Lowen, Matthew, Hector, Oswin, and Serra.  
  
"OK," dictated Krista. "There are brigands and archers to the south of us, so be ready for them." Everyone nodded in affirmation. "Good. Now make sure your ear devices—"  
  
Serra interrupted with a high-pitched squeal. "Eww! What kind of name is that?! Come on, Krista! Remember that awesome name we had for your little device thingies when we traveled with you before?" Krista looked like she would rather not remember, so Serra turned to face Matthew. "Didn't we used to have a great name for her devices? Tell them, Mattie! Tell them!"  
  
Matthew—like Krista—looked like he would rather die, than say what Serra wanted him to say. He gave her a look that would have silenced anybody else.  
  
But Serra was unperturbed. "Well, if little Mattie here doesn't want to tell...then I guess I'LL have to! The name was..." She paused dramatically. "...a communicator!" Both Krista and Matthew flinched as if from a bad memory, but Rebecca didn't see anything wrong with a name like that. In fact, she thought that it was a lot better than calling them 'ear devices', but perhaps there was something going on that she didn't know.  
  
"Did you have to say that, Serra?" asked Matthew, hiding his face in his hands. "It's embarrassing!" Krista seemed like she was having an internal conflict, as if she wasn't sure whether she wanted to cry or laugh.  
  
"What the heck are you guys talking about?! I demand to know right now!" Hector was getting irate at this inside joke between his vassals.  
  
"Sheesh, Lord Hector! You don't have to be so mean about it!" Serra exclaimed. "However, since I'm so generous and nice, I'll forgive you for yelling and even tell you what we're talking about." She cleared her throat. "We're talking about...communicators!"  
  
Rebecca watched Hector turn red in exasperation as he yelled, "Why are communicators so #$% interesting?!" Rebecca cringed at the bad word, but she was still interested in why the name 'communicator' was such a big deal.  
  
Serra sighed, as if she was dealing with a bunch of little kids that needed everything to be explained to them. "Communicators! You know, the Companions Of Me and Matthew Use No Intelligence to CArry ouT OrderS!" She hugged Matthew tightly and squealed (again). "Hehehe! Wasn't it fun, Mattie? Wasn't it?"  
  
Matthew valiantly struggled to free himself, but it was a lost cause—Serra was just too strong. Krista decided to help him out by using her rank as the tactician of the group. "Um...Serra? Could you go with Dorcas, Bartre, Marcus, and Eliwood? They could really use a healer."  
  
Serra still refused to let go of Matthew as she asked why she couldn't just stay here and heal.  
  
"Well..." Krista fished around for a good reason, which was difficult. "Well, there are a lot of archers down here, and I wouldn't want to risk you or anything..." She suddenly got a sly idea. "Oh yes, Marcus also has a Secret Book and a pretty bejeweled Dragonshield that I'm sure he would let you borrow."  
  
Serra's eyes widened, and she let go of Matthew in her happiness at being able to obtain such treasures. "Oooh! Of course I'll go! I'm sure that they will be positively delighted to have me!" She ran off after the other group, making Matthew sigh in relief.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Krista."  
  
"Yeah, well..." stuttered Krista. "You probably won't be thanking me later when you're hurt, and there's no healer around." Matthew gave her a look that said: No, I don't think so.  
  
Krista rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say... I'm going to go find a good lookout spot now." At that, she sauntered off—her signal to commence fighting.

* * *

Marcus wasn't very happy, and he had three valid reasons why. First, Serra had come dashing behind him (scaring the living daylights out of poor Roland); second, Serra had the nerve to demand that he hand over his Dragonshield and Secret Book; and third, after his refusal, Serra had taken his items anyway! What was this world coming to? There was simply no respect for elders anymore! His hand touched his steel sword, and he smiled. At least Lord Eliwood showed some empathy toward his situation. Where was Eliwood anyway?  
  
Eliwood stared at the cold, rushing water in front of him. How were they supposed to cross this? His countenance fell as he realized the hopelessness of their plight. Bartre had already said that he couldn't swim, Dorcas said that he would have liked to avoid getting wet if possible, and Eliwood himself had armor on. There was no way that they could cross this river, unless they could find a bridge or something similar to one.  
  
The red-haired noble scanned the riverbank, and saw a huge stump. It would have been so perfect as a bridge, except for one problem: It was standing upright. None of them had enough strength to cut it down, except perhaps Marcus, but he was dealing with Serra right now. Eliwood didn't know what was worse—the roaring river or the roaring cleric.  
  
For the first time in Marcus' long career as a paladin, he had to surrender. The humiliating experience of having to give up his items to Serra still burned brightly in his mind. His hand fingered the sharp steel of his sword, and his eyes searched for an outlet for his anger and bitterness. After seeing countless blades of grass, his eyes locked onto the perfect target—a large stump right next to a river. With his mouth set into a thin line, he signaled to Roland to start charging. Roland was not used to being ordered to charge on inanimate beings, like this stump, but he charged nevertheless.  
  
And what a charge it was! Dorcas watched in awe as Roland galloped toward the stump, holding nothing back with complete and utter confidence in his rider. For a fleeting moment, Dorcas wished that he had a horse, but then he remembered his discomfort in the saddle. No...he was better off without a horse, but it seemed like Marcus was better off with one. Right now, ramming into the stump with all of their might, Dorcas saw that Marcus and his horse were a team. Alone, they would not accomplish much, but together, they were a force to be reckoned with. Dorcas almost felt sorry for the stump, but then realized that it wasn't alive. Anyway, they now had the bridge they needed.  
  
"Woohoo, Marcus!" Bartre slapped him on the back in congratulations.  
  
"For what?" asked Marcus.  
  
"For knocking down the stump!" declared Bartre.  
  
"..." Marcus turned to Eliwood, who was standing by. "Do you know what Bartre is talking about, my lord? I was just mad at Serra, and cut down this stump as an outlet..."  
  
Eliwood laughed. "Well, you, my friend, have unwittingly given us the bridge we needed to cross this river."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
Unbeknownst to the guys, Serra had been listening to their conversation, and she didn't like what they were saying at all. "Yoohoo! Lord Marcus! What were you just saying about me?!"  
  
"Uh oh..." Eliwood whispered to Marcus. "I think you're in big trouble..." Marcus silently agreed.  
  
"Well...um..." the paladin started. "I...I must make sure everything is alright on the other side of this river!" He then proceeded to rush across the makeshift bridge, presumably to check and see if the other side was safe. Eliwood smiled, for he knew that Marcus was just trying to get away from Serra—and her hot temper. And speaking of Serra...  
  
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" she exploded. "You should help a lady, like myself, get across this stump!" Marcus didn't give any hint that he heard her, so Serra turned to Eliwood.  
  
"You're a lord, right?" Eliwood nodded meekly, too scared to do anything else. "Great! Then you can escort me across this bridge! Oh, and you can carry my Dragonshield and my Secret Book, too! Isn't that nice of me?"  
  
Eliwood looked around for Bartre or Dorcas, hoping to dump Serra onto one of them, but they had already crossed to the other side. Bartre waved with a huge grin on his face, and Dorcas looked on Eliwood with pity. Then they proceeded to follow Marcus.  
  
Eliwood hung his head; there would be no escape for him now.

* * *

Rebecca was the first to strike an enemy brigand. However, her arrow only grazed him and made him mad, which wasn't a good thing. His wild, matted hair swept around his face as he prepared to counter, but he would not succeed if Lowen had anything to do with it.  
  
Lowen bravely charged the brigand, fully intending to stop his counter prematurely. Rebecca sighed in self-disgust at her inability to aim properly under such pressure. She knew that Lowen would take care of the brigand, but still... She wished that she could help her companions in battle as much as everybody else, and that everyone would stop having to save her. She used to be her village's best huntress for crying out loud! She didn't need to be coddled and saved all the ti—  
  
"Hey! Watch it!" Rebecca felt herself being pushed to the side by someone in bright red. It was one of the new recruits...Matthew. Yes, Matthew was his name, but why had he...oh! Somehow, the brigand had gotten past Lowen and rushed straight for his real target—her! If Matthew hadn't pushed her out of the way in time...well, now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

* * *

Hector watched Rebecca with a mixture of sympathy and antipathy. At first, he had liked the idea of having a girl in the troops who wasn't a healer, since he liked girls who could take care of themselves. But now... _She should have been able to shoot better if she expects to be a help instead of a hindrance._ He would have to take matters into his own hands now that Matthew had saved her life, risking his own. Matthew was now sporting a good-sized wound thanks to Rebecca's inaccuracy, but at least the brigand was dead.  
  
"Hey, Rebecca!" Hector called.  
  
Rebecca looked around in puzzlement. "Huh?" She caught sight of Hector yelling at her. "Oh! Lord Hector! Um...yes, sir?"  
  
"I..." Hector had been about to tell her to get off of the battlefield, but then suddenly realized that that would not accomplish anything. Beside, Krista would hear, and then chew him out later—not something that he would look forward to.  
  
"Um...milord?" Rebecca stared at him expectantly with her innocent, emerald eyes. And Hector saw that they were the eyes of a child, a brave and determined one, but a child nonetheless—a child who needed guidance and protection.  
  
"Rebecca..." Hector started. "I know that you want to fight, but you should stay in the back and let us men handle it!" He grimaced as the last part of his sentence came out a little harsher than he had intended.  
  
Rebecca was shocked into silence. All she could do was stare at him with her brilliant eyes with the question, "What?" running rampant through her mind.  
  
Hector grew uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. "Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm just—"  
  
"Milord! Look out!" An arrow whizzed past Hector's face, cutting him across the left cheek. He turned around, his eyes locking onto the archer who had dared to shoot him. There. That little archer... He would pay. Hector grinned, and tightened his grip on his axe, forgetting all about Rebecca in his battle eagerness.

* * *

The knight of Ostia, Oswin, watched as Hector gleefully attacked the offending archer. He sighed. As a child, Hector had fought, and Oswin knew that he would continue to do so as he got older. At least, Hector had no deceitfulness in him... Still, even without that conniving spirit, Hector could still be pretty brash about serious issues—like the archer, Rebecca.  
  
Rebecca was so lost in Hector's words that she didn't notice when Oswin was looming over her in his bulky armor. She quickly tried to regain her composure, but a tiny drop leaked out from the corner of her eye before she could stop it. "S-Sorry, about this..." she stuttered.  
  
Oswin smiled in understanding, and Rebecca was reminded of her kind father. "It's alright, child. I know that Lord Hector can be gruff sometimes, but he really does mean well...I think." He gave her a conspirator's wink, and she gave a small laugh in return.  
  
"Yes...thank you, Lord Oswin."  
  
The addressed knight shook his head. "I am no lord, Rebecca, but I AM a knight who protects one. And..." He put a hand on her shoulder. "If you need protection, since I doubt Hector will need any, do not hesitate to come to me."  
  
Rebecca filled with gratitude. "Oh, Lo—I mean, Oswin. Thank you for understanding! I believe that I will take you up on that offer, at least for a little bit. It looks like everyone else is handling the enemies just fine without my help..." She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling, but the Ostian knight saw it anyway.  
  
"Rebecca... They may not need you right now, but rest assured..." Oswin turned her head up, so that she was staring straight into his eyes. "They will need you and your bow later."  
  
Rebecca smiled. "Thank you... I will be sure to be there for them when they do need me!"  
  
Oswin nodded. "Yes."

* * *

(A/N: Hope y'all don't mind, but I'm probably just going to stay in Rebecca's point of view for the duration of this chapter. Otherwise, it would get too long, and I'm so eager to get to the chapter where Wil comes!! Oh, and this next part about Rebecca and Lowen is for you, The Story Master 125, since I know you like Rebecca/Lowen so much...:P)  
  
Bright green eyes surveyed the battlefield. Matthew and his liege, Hector, stood triumphantly over two dead archers, Lowen waited up ahead with his javelin, ready for more archers, and Oswin stood slightly behind everyone, ready to protect his comrades if the need arose. Rebecca sighed in...boredom? _Hah,_ she thought. _It's not like they need my help or anything anyway, so why should I even try?_ She clasped her bow against her, just like a little child would hold a favored toy. She supposed that it wouldn't hurt her companions if she chose to stay out of the action for a little while—to sort all of her emotions out.  
  
Rebecca got a little anxious for Lowen when an archer seemed to appear out of nowhere, but fortunately, Lowen had his javelin prepared to counter. _See, Rebecca?_ She reprimanded herself for worrying. _He had it under control all the time._ A stream of blood ran down his right arm, making a pool near his horse's feet. She gulped. Maybe not everything was under control after all. _Oh, screw my inaction!_ she thought as she ran to the trainee-knight of Pherae. She was going to help Lowen!  
  
Lowen was getting dizzy from such a huge loss of blood. At least he had killed the archer, but not before obtaining the nice arrow in his arm as payment. Fortunately for him, the arrowhead had not been strong to begin with, so it had broken as soon as it had penetrated his armor. He winced. For such a weak arrow, it had sure caused him some damage. His head was starting to feel light, and he couldn't remember what he should do to help with the wound. Too bad, Sir Marcus wasn't here to scold him. He smiled as he thought of how quickly he would "recover" with Marcus yelling at him. Would he never get to hear that antipathetic, unsympathetic voice again?  
  
"Lowen!" It was such a pretty voice—the voice of an angel. Was he already in heaven? "Lowen! Snap out of it!" The slap across the face woke him up to the fact that he wasn't in heaven, but he still felt woozy.  
  
Rebecca was getting desperate. Lowen had to stay awake, so he wouldn't get killed! Slapping him wasn't going to cut it, so...she gulped. More drastic measures would have to be taken. Gathering up her courage, and feeling very stupid, Rebecca gave Lowen a fierce kiss and hoped to Roland that he wouldn't remember this later.  
  
Lowen's eyes shot open in surprise. What the he—oh my gosh!  
  
"Aaah!" Rebecca jumped back in shock. She hadn't been expecting him to be alert so quickly! Oh no... Did he realize...? Shoot...  
  
The two companions stared at each other with mingled looks of shock, confusion, shame, and astonishment, and the redness of Lowen's face was surpassed only by Rebecca's own blush. "Uh...uh..." Rebecca stuttered, getting redder all the time (if that was possible).  
  
"Um...uh..." Lowen was also having difficulty speaking.  
  
Rebecca gritted her teeth, determined to help Lowen with his wound, even if she died of embarrassment herself. "It's not what it...uh...looks like...yeah. I-I just came to help you w-with your wound...uh..." She searched for a valid reason why she would come over to help him, and not let him take care of it himself. "Well, I...uh... You need some cloth to bind it up with...yeah. A-And since you don't have any... I came to bring you some..." She frantically hunted for a spare piece of cloth to give to Lowen, so that her story wouldn't sound so fake.  
  
"Um...it's alright, Rebecca." Lowen still seemed a little uncomfortable, but Rebecca could tell that he was trying to be a chivalrous knight. She smiled in appreciation. "It's...uh...not really as bad as it seems... I just won't be fighting as hard for a while... Hey, you know what?"  
  
Rebecca bit her lip in apprehension. "W-What?" she managed to stammer.  
  
"Well..." Lowen shrugged, a slight blush still visible on his face. "You could help me fight the enemies, since I can't fight too well. I mean, y-you don't have to if you don't w-want to..."  
  
Rebecca gave a soft smile. "Of course. I would be honored to help you fight! And besides, it would get both our minds off of—"Rebecca broke off to blush more furiously than before.  
  
"Uh..." Lowen blushed again as well.  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
Rebecca cringed at the awkward silence. "Um...Lowen? I-I think we should start focusing on the battle..."  
  
The crimson-faced Pheraen knight-in-training nodded. "Yes...that would be...uh...good..."  
  
"...Um...OK." Rebecca grabbed an arrow and strung it. "Well, let's go then..."  
  
Lowen nodded and grabbed his sword.

* * *

"Why are they all attacking Matthew?!" yelled Rebecca.  
  
Lowen shrugged. "Maybe because he's wearing red?"  
  
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Well, aren't we going to help him?"  
  
"Why?" Lowen asked, completely innocent of why Matthew would ever need their help.  
  
"Why?" Rebecca's voice rose in volume. "Why?! What if he gets hurt?! It'll be our fault, and you ask why?!"  
  
Lowen, still completely unaware of why Rebecca was so anxious to help Matthew, pointed at the thief. "But look at him." The green-haired archer reluctantly complied, and her eyes widened in disbelief.  
  
Lowen smiled. "See? He's so fast that they don't stand a chance. He doesn't overpower his attackers, because he knows that he won't win that way. Instead, he uses his incredible agility as a thief to run circles around them, dodge their attacks, and then deliver a final blow." He sighed, and patted Hartmut on the head.  
  
"Not jealous now, are we?" Rebecca teased.  
  
Lowen gave her a sarcastic look. "No, of course not. Why would I ever want to be so fast that my enemies wouldn't be able to catch me?"  
  
Rebecca's smile grew wider. "I have no idea, Lowen. No idea at all."  
  
Lowen laughed. "Yeah, sure. I'm going now."  
  
"Whoa, huh? Hey, wait up for me!" Rebecca clutched her bow and arrow, and hurried after Lowen. _Hey, no fair!_ she thought. _He's got a horse!_

__

* * *

Try as she might, Rebecca could not keep up with Lowen and Hartmut. They had already raced to catch up with Matthew and...someone else. She couldn't tell who this new someone was, but she was thankful for any new recruit. The new guy and Matthew were speaking, and the guy didn't seem to be very happy. Rebecca thought she could decipher some words like "owe me" and "food", but she couldn't be too sure. Oh well, there was enough time for getting to know the new recruit later. Right now, she had other problems to deal with—like that brigand.  
  
With her arrow already strung and ready to go, all Rebecca had to do was aim and...fire! The arrow sped through the air like a bolt, but the brigand was able to move to the side just enough for the arrow to hit his side instead of his heart. She grimaced and grabbed another arrow, vowing that he would not survive this next one.  
  
However, as Rebecca preparing her next shot, Hector rushed in to finish the brigand off. _What a glory hound!_ thought Rebecca. _That brigand was mine!_ The "glory hound" wiped his axe on the ground to clean it up, and then turned around to face a frustrated Rebecca. First, he had told her that the battlefield was only a place for men, and now, he took away her chance to prove him wrong. She clenched her hands into fists, and walked stiffly up to him, fully prepared to tell him what she thought of this.  
  
Before she could get a word in, Hector put up his hand in a gesture commanding silence. Uncompliantly, she pressed her lips together in a thin line. What did _he_ want? "Well, Rebecca, I've been watching you fight, and..." He seemed uncomfortable, but Rebecca didn't know why he would be.  
  
Getting impatient, she asked, "You've been watching me fight, and...what?"  
  
"Well...oh, fine! I'm sorry, OK?! I shouldn't have said that you don't belong on the battlefield!" He glared at her, as if daring her to laugh at his apology. "You don't fight so bad...for a girl, that is."  
  
Rebecca didn't know what to say. Hector's apology had caught her completely off-guard, and she couldn't think of a quick-enough comeback. "Uh...well. Thanks a lot, I guess." Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the recent event. "But if I'm not such a bad fighter, then why did you have to kill that brigand? I was fully prepared to handle him on my own!"  
  
"I don't think so." Hector shook his head. "You were probably too busy to notice this, but the brigand was about to attack. And..." He brought his own iron axe as an illustration. "I don't think that you could've survived a head-on attack from one of these axes. Remember, never take your eyes off of the enemy!"  
  
Rebecca stared at his axe, the gleaming edge sharp enough to cut through soft flesh and white bone, and shivered. "I...I guess that perhaps I should be the one apologizing to you, Lord Hector. You were right before to say that I wasn't ready, but rest assured milord, I am now." She took a deep breath. "I-I must thank you for...saving my life. I will eternally be indebt—"  
  
"Oh, cut the courtesy," grunted Hector. "I never liked all that nonsense anyway. Just make sure that you watch your enemy from now on, alright?"  
  
Rebecca nodded vigorously. "Yes, of course, Lord Hector!"  
  
The addressed lord groaned. "Grr...I told you not to call me 'Lord' anything!"  
  
"Whatever you say, _Lord_ Hector!" shouted Rebecca as she ran away laughing. _He's so fun to make mad!_

__

* * *

Krista had done a very good job of instructing her new recruits, but there was one thing that she had neglected to mention—the enemy getting reinforcements. Experience was supposedly the best teacher, but Rebecca wished that learning wasn't so painful. She pressed her fingers against her hip wound in a pitiful attempt to stop the bleeding. A sigh escaped from her lips. Everything had been going so well...  
  
After Hector had beaten the last brigand, Rebecca had thought that all they had to do now was defeat Boies, so naturally, she had let her guard down—a mistake that would have been fatal if not for a certain thief's interference.  
  
Rebecca would later swear that she had not seen the arrow coming, since she had been concentrating on what Hector had said. "Watch your enemy." Unfortunately, she should've been practicing the advice instead of just pondering about it. But even if she had been looking out for more enemies, it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference, for the arrow had been shot swiftly, surely, and silently—the three 'S's of archery. If the arrow had not been shot by an enemy, Rebecca would have taken time to admire its lethal accuracy and deadly strength. However, it HAD been shot by an enemy, and had been directed toward her!  
  
With his sharp eyes, Matthew had been able to spot the enemy reinforcement aiming for Rebecca. He knew that she wouldn't be able to move out of the way in time, so he focused his efforts on the enemy archer instead. If he could cause him to lose his concentration, then Rebecca would have a better chance of survival. A split-second decision was made, and Matthew hurled his sword toward the archer, hoping that his plan worked.  
  
You could imagine Matthew's pleasant surprise when his sword actually connected with the archer, weakening him and causing him to let go of the string prematurely. Although much of it's power had been taken away, the arrow still sped toward Rebecca with frightening accuracy, planting itself into her hip.  
  
Rebecca gasped, and fell to one knee, unable to scream from the shock. Where had that blasted arrow come from? She searched the battlefield frantically, worried that the enemy archer would try to fire again while she was in such a vulnerable position. Yes...the object of her search was to her left, and he seemed wounded already. Rebecca supposed that killing him would be that much easier. Gritting her teeth against the pain, and using her bow as a support, she slowly stood up. If it was her destiny to go down in this fight, she would take that archer out with her!  
  
Unaware of Hector observing her, Rebecca struggled to string one of her arrows. She knew that she made a pitiful sight with blood running down her legs and staining her tan skirt, but she could care less about that. All she wanted now was to make that archer pay...dearly. At least he was in a worse case than she was, since Matthew's sword had made a deep gash in his arm. He wouldn't be shooting anytime soon, and that thought made Rebecca smile.  
  
Her arrow was now strung. Rebecca wiped sweat out of her eyes, and breathed deeply to still herself—it would do no good for her to pass out with the battle still going on. Hector was still watching her, and was pleased that she refused to give in to weakness. She steadily raised her bow, pulled the string back, and shot.  
  
The arrow sang as it cut through the air, and pierced the enemy archer through the heart. Rebecca fell to her hands and knees, gasping in pain. She was glad that she had gotten that archer, but now what could she do? First of all, she would have to get this arrow out—not a happy prospect, but it would have to be done.  
  
Before she could touch the arrow, Rebecca felt strong hands steadying her. She looked up to see who was helping her, and was surprised when she saw that it was Hector. She had never thought of him as the helping type, but, she reminded herself, looks could be deceiving.  
  
Hector looked in Rebecca's eyes to make sure that she understood what he was saying. "I'm going to pull this arrow out, alright? Or...do you want to do it yourself?" He sighed. "Either way, it's coming out."  
  
Rebecca closed her eyes. "Y-You do it...please."  
  
Hector nodded, and placed his hands on the protruding arrow. "On three. One...two..." Rebecca braced herself. "Three!"  
  
It came out with a sickening squelch, and Rebecca was almost overcome by the nauseating pain. Well, she tried to console herself, at least the arrow was out now. She thought about standing up, but decided against it since there weren't really any enemies left—or so she thought. Besides, standing up would just cause her to exert more energy than she needed to.  
  
"Are you OK?" Hector stood over her, still holding the bloody arrow.  
  
"Ugh..." Rebecca turned her head away from the arrow, and nodded that she was alright.  
  
"Well...um..." He was looking embarrassed again, and Rebecca would have laughed if she was feeling any better. "I guess if you're really feeling alright..."  
  
"Hector!" Rebecca frantically pointed to an enemy soldier. "Behind you!"  
  
The Ostian lord whipped around, grinning from ear to ear—fighting was something that he could handle. His face fell when he realized that it was only a puny soldier, but hey, it was still an enemy. Hector brought his axe down, cleaving the enemy's lance in two. Now that the enemy was defenseless, he would have no problem dispatching him.  
  
Rebecca shuddered. She didn't think she would ever understand what Hector found so fun about fighting. Looking at the ruthlessly killed soldier on the ground, she decided that she didn't really want to understand. She would kill if she had to (since it was her job), but she would absolutely not enjoy it. In fact, just looking at the carnage made her sick to her stomach. Perhaps she had better take it easy for a while...

* * *

"Rebecca? Hey, Rebecca?" It was Krista. "You awake? You gave me quite a scare there..."  
  
Rebecca opened her eyes. What had happened? The last thing that Rebecca remembered was Hector killing the soldier, and then...being very tired. Had she fainted? Her cheeks burned in self-consciousness. How embarrassing...  
  
"Um...Rebecca? Are you awake now?" Krista was still talking.  
  
Rebecca nodded, but then remembered that Krista was probably too far away to see. "...Yes, I'm awake. Uh... What happened? Did we get Boies? Is anyone hurt? What about Marquess Santaruz? Wh—"  
  
"Whoa! Slow down, please!" laughed the tactician. "Now, let me see... I think you fainted or something. Yes, Boies was defeated by Hector—he's kind of scary when he fights, you know." Rebecca smiled. "Um...what else? Oh yeah... Lowen got hurt pretty badly, but then Serra healed him. It's so nice to have a healer again. Oh, and about Marquess Santaruz... We were just about to go into the castle to see what's going on with him... Was that all of your questions?"  
  
"Well, I guess that's all..." answered Rebecca.  
  
"Good! Now, as soon as Serra has finished healing Eliwood, she'll come over to you, OK? Then we'll enter the castle." Krista sighed. "I sure hope that Marquess Santaruz is alright..."  
  
"I'm sure he's fine," encouraged Rebecca.  
  
Krista smiled. "Thanks. Now you stay there and wait for Serra like a good, little archer."  
  
Rebecca mock-bowed. "Yes, oh mighty tactician. You control all!" Then she laughed, totally ruining her attempt at seriousness.  
  
"Uh-huh...whatever. Just stay there, OK?"  
  
Rebecca giggled again. (A/N: Sorry I kind of skipped a lot...but I really want to get to the chapter that Wil comes in...)

* * *

"So...Eliwood, Hector, and I, are going into the castle?" asked Krista. "What about the rest of you?"  
  
Serra jumped up and down, her hand raised up as far as it would go. "Oooh! Pick me! Pick me!!"  
  
Krista sighed in exasperation. "You know you don't have to raise your hand, Serra..."  
  
The cleric smiled. "Of course I know! I just wanted to be polite!" She turned her eyes onto Matthew. "Unlike some OTHER people!"  
  
Matthew held up his hands in an innocent gesture, as if he had no idea what Serra was talking about. That seemed to make her pretty mad. "Matthew! Don't even TRY that innocent act!! I'll just—"  
  
"Please, please!" Krista interrupted. "Stop fighting, Serra, and tell me what you're idea was! We don't have enough time to spare, you know!"  
  
Serra pouted. "Well, fine! I was going to say that we could listen in with our communicators!"  
  
"You mean, eavesdropping??" Lowen looked shocked at such a suggestion. "That is dishonorable!"  
  
Serra gave him a look. "So?!" Then she turned to Krista. "We should hear what's going on, shouldn't we?"  
  
Krista sighed, and put a hand on her forehead. "Well, I guess so... It would be a lot easier than having to explain everything later."  
  
"Ha! See? Krista's on my side!" shouted Serra.  
  
Lowen winced at Serra's high-pitched voice. "Fine. I suppose not having to explain things later would save us valuable time."  
  
Krista clapped her hands together. "So, have y'all decided what you're going to do?"  
  
"Yep! We sure have!" Serra exclaimed. Matthew shook his head, and muttered something under his breath.  
  
The tactician tried to hide her smile. "Well then, Eliwood, Hector, and I, will head into the castle. Oh, and try to listen and not talk a lot, OK?"  
  
Serra saluted and bowed. "Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

If he remembered correctly, Lord Helman's room would be just around the corner... Aha! Here it was. Eliwood knocked lightly and called Helman's name, but nobody answered. Perhaps they had better go in to see if everything was alright...  
  
Upon opening the door, Eliwood gasped. Faint light came from the window, giving the room an eerie glow. Tints of red were splattered here and there—the red of blood. Lord Helman's blood. Eliwood quickly closed his eyes, but the image was still there, burned into his mind.  
  
A cry tore itself from his throat. "Lord Helman!!"  
  
Helman lifted his hand at hearing his voice. He thought that it was Eliwood, but he couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was just another of Ephidel's tricks. Helman just had to know for sure, because if it really was Eliwood, he would have to be warned... "...Is that you...Eliwood?"  
  
Eliwood blinked rapidly to clear his eyes as he, and Hector, and Krista, rushed to Helman's side. "Hold on, my lord!"  
  
"I... I must apologize..." Hector and Krista helped Helman sit up. "You father... He..."  
  
Eliwood's eyes widened at the mentioning of his father. "Do you know something, sir?"  
  
"I... ..." Helman closed his eyes in pain. "If I hadn't told Elbert...about...Darin's plans... This would...never...have..." His frail body shook with fits of coughing, so that he wasn't able to finish his statement.  
  
"Lord Helman!"  
  
Helman grabbed a hold of Eliwood with frightening strength for such an old man. "Go to Laus... Darin...the marquess of Laus...knows all."  
  
Eliwood looked confused. "Marquess Laus?"  
  
Marquess Santaruz's spasms got worse, and he feared the worst. "I'm sorry, Eliwood... I...I can't..."  
  
Eliwood held onto Helman's cold hands in a feeble attempt to warm them. "Hold on!"  
  
Helman stared straight into Eliwood's eyes. This boy...he had to be warned... "Beware...the Black...Fang........." Krista gasped as Helman's body became limp and slack—lifeless.  
  
"Lord Helman!" Eliwood held Helman's hands still tighter.  
  
Hector came up behind Eliwood, and put a hand on his shoulder. "He's gone..."  
  
Eliwood let go, his eyes haunted and helpless. "It can't be..."

* * *

Rebecca couldn't see through her tears. _Why did this have to happen? Why?_ She looked around at everyone else. Some were crying like she was, others were valiantly trying to stave off their grief, and others were wearing emotionless masks, refusing to give in to the hopelessness. But no matter what she saw on the outside, Rebecca knew that they were all thinking the same thing: _Where would they go now?  
_  
When her communicator crackled, Rebecca jumped up in startlement. Apparently, Eliwood, Hector, and Krista, weren't done talking yet. She wiped her eyes clear of tears, and listened closely.  
  
"Lord Helman... Why..." It was Eliwood. "...Why did this happen?"  
  
Hector pounded his fist onto the ground. "Blast! What is going on?!?"  
  
"......" Eliwood stared straight ahead, not really focusing on anything in particular. "We go to Laus. We must speak to the marquess of Laus, Lord Darin."  
  
Hector nodded, seeing the wisdom in Eliwood's decision. "You're right. We should leave quickly. I'm not sure how far we can get today, but..." He proceeded to pace back and forth, like a caged animal. "I can't sit still."  
  
The door squeaked as someone came into the room, and Hector spun around wielding his axe. Maybe it was Marquess Santaruz's killer coming back to finish the job! Krista grabbed the closest piece of furniture, so that she could throw it at the stranger if he was a threat to them. Eliwood stood silent, still in mental paralysis at Lord Helman's death.  
  
As it turned out, Krista and Hector had not needed to get weapons, for the stranger was just the steward of Santaruz. His face was haggard and drawn. "Please..." he implored. "With our lord gone, what are we to do?"  
  
Krista gave a smile in sympathy and understanding. "First, you must give Lord Helman a proper burial, and after that..." She sighed. "I'm sure the Lycian Council will have to meet."  
  
Hector nodded. "Stay here and defend the castle until you hear more."  
  
"I understand." The steward bowed, and then left.  
  
Krista watched him leave, and made up her mind to leave too. "Let's go," she ordered. "We must keep moving."  
  
Hector stared at the body of Lord Helman. "Yes...and now we seek answers for Marquess Santaruz, too."  
  
"..." Eliwood closed his eyes in respect. "Lord Helman... May you find peace."

* * *

Rebecca felt tears coursing down her cheeks. But at least they now had a goal—to go to Laus and speak with Lord Darin. She gathered her hands into fists. If he had anything to do with Lord Helman's death...he would pay. She would make sure of that.

* * *

Rebecca: Poor Lord Helman! Why did you make him DIE???  
  
Me: ::hides in a corner:: Meep...it wasn't my fault! He died in the game...  
  
Rebecca: Yeah, sure! Blame the game, will you?! You're so pathetic.  
  
Me: Hey! Watch it! I could still pair you up with someone other than Wil if you don't behave!  
  
Rebecca: Ack! Alright, OK...I surrender.  
  
Me: Now be a good little muse and tell the nice people to review.  
  
Rebecca: ::mutters something under breath::  
  
Me: What? I didn't hear that!  
  
Rebecca: ::puts on a fake smile:: Be...nice...people...and...review...  
  
Me: Hehehe! Oh, and by the way, I wouldn't pair you up with anyone but Wil...at least in this fic.   
  
Rebecca: Grr...  
  
Me: ::sweatdrop:: Uh...why are you looking at me like that? Aaaah! Somebody save me!!!!!!  
  
Rebecca: ::smiles evilly::  
  
Random question: I know that this might sound dumb, but...what color are Lyn's, Rath's, and Guy's hair?? At first, I thought that Lyn's was blue, Rath's was brown, and Guy's was black...but I'm not so sure anymore. I heard from somewhere that all the Sacaen people had green hair, so now I'm confused...::sigh::  
  
Random fact: OK... These are the couples that are probably going to be in this fic:  
  
Eliwood/Lyn (since I don't like Ninian...sorry)  
  
Kent/Fiora (yay!)  
  
Hector/Florina (sorry for you people that don't like this couple...I personally like Wil/Florina better, but she can't end up with him in this fic for obvious reasons)  
  
Wil/Rebecca (W00t!!!!!!!)  
  
Erk/Serra (so funny together)  
  
Heath/Priscilla (so romantic...sigh)  
  
Pent/Louise (um...they ARE married...)  
  
Jaffar/Nino (read their A support!!)  
  
Uh...I think that's all for now... Please review.


	7. The Peddler Merlinus

Disclaimer: I'll tell it to you plainly. I don't own any of the Fire Emblem characters.  
  
Rebecca: You FINALLY updated! I bet people were starting to think that you had died or something.  
  
Me: Well...I've been drawing a lot lately—  
  
Rebecca: That's no excuse! Now hurry up and thank all the nice reviewers!  
  
Me: Meep...Yes, ma'am...

* * *

Houyoku: Yeah, sorry for all of the battle chapters...::smile::;;; I'm trying to follow the game, and they don't really do anything other than fight...::sigh:: It'll get better after Wil makes his appearance...I hope. Hehehe...yeah, the Lowen/Rebecca WAS pretty random... I think I was going through romance withdrawal or something...::shrugs:: If I could just see his eyes, he wouldn't annoy me half as much. Oh, thanks for the Sacaen hair-color problem I was having...hehehe. Hm...Karel and Karla have Sacaen blood? Wow...I really don't know anything about their past...bad me. I'm glad you can deal with most of my couples! Actually, I like Hector/Lyn much better too, but I didn't want Eliwood to end up with Ninian (I'd have to rant about that one...) and he needed someone to end up with... I'll probably put my reasoning for the couples at the end of this chapter. Thanks again for the wonderful review!  
  
The Story Master 125: ::smiles:: Yay, I made someone laugh! I had such a fun time figuring out that abbreviation. There's another one at the end of this chapter...I had fun with that one too. Hehehe...Yeah, I knew you liked Rebecca/Lowen, and I'm glad you liked my last chapter! Sorry you don't like Hector/Florina, though...I'll give an explanation on why I chose those couples at the end of this chapter... Yep, your forte is definitely OC-Romance (so many OC's in your story...but it's so awesome! I should try to keep up with them all...). Thanks so much for all the reviews! ::hugs::  
  
SweetMisery430: Hehehe. Yes, Nino/Jaffar forever! Their supports are SOO sweet, especially the A support when they confess their love. ::sigh:: So cute...anyways... Yeah, I just paired Eliwood up with Lyn because the only other choice was Ninian (and maybe Fiora—but she's with Kent!). I'll go into an explanation about why I chose those couples at the end of this chapter. I always thought that Rath and Guy had black hair too...but I guess all Sacaens have green hair... Maybe the guy's just have really, really dark green hair... Thankies for the review!  
  
hyliansage: Alright! You're the first one who liked all of my pairings! Thanks for the Sacaen hair-color problem...I was so confused by that, but now I'm not. Whoa...Karel and Karla are Sacaen?? Interesting...yeah, I don't know anything about their past...TT Yes! Guy finally became a part of the group...sorry I didn't get to formally introduce him, but my chapter was already so freakishly long... Omg...I wish the gamers made Wil come in an earlier chapter!! Yeah...I think I had too much fun with that communicator gag... Actually, there's another one at the very end of this chapter...hehehe. I just made Serra call Matthew "Mattie", because she seemed like the kind of person to do that... Sadly, I can picture her calling Lucius "Lucy", which is kind of scary... SPOILERS! Gotta luv 'em! Thanks for the review...and update soon!  
  
burning phoneix: Wow...Your review made me so happy! I'm glad my last chapter gave you satisfaction reading it...I hope that I'll be able to do that again, but it's not very likely...TT. Yeah, I have no idea where that Rebecca kissing Lowen thing came from...Maybe I was just romance-deprived or something...::shrugs:: I had so much fun making up that acronym for communicators! There's another one (but not so long) at the end of this chapter...I'm going acronym crazy... P.S. Thanks for the Sacaen hair-color solution! P.S.S. ::gulp:: Heh...I hope that I won't produce any bad chapters then...::nervous smile:: Thanks again for reviewing!!  
  
Sword of Seals: I'm sure you could write long chapters if you wanted to. I should work on making mine shorter...::sigh:: I did a good job with detail? Yay! I try to put detail in, but most of the time it doesn't work...waah... To answer your question: Yeah, Guy was supposed to come in that chapter, but my chapter was so long already that I had to make his entrance short. He's in this one though! ::nods:: Rebecca/Wil to infinity and beyond! W00t! Thank you very much!!  
  
secretagentjeeves: Thanks for sharing your FE knowledge with me! It sure helps a lot...and you know I need it...hehehe. Spoilers are the best, especially when they have to do with Wil, Rebecca, and Dan! So...you've gotten the support conversations for Rebecca/Dart and Wil/Dart? Awesomeness! I haven't gotten Dart in the game yet...TT Hehehe...Bramimond's hard to spell, isn't it? Thanks again for your lovely reviews!  
  
warpstarmaster122: Wow...What a nice review! I'm glad you thought my battle chapters were good...but there are too many of them...::sigh:: Hehehe! I'm doubly glad that you like all of my pairings! Yeah, I should put them on my bio page, but I'm just so lazy...and I didn't really think that people read those...heh heh... That part with Hector kind of being sexist and all...I have no idea where that came from...my mind does strange things late at night...::shrugs:: Hahaha...Yeah, I absolutely LOVE Rebecca/Wil...I wrote that part with a little Rebecca/Lowen, because I was going through romance-fluff- withdrawal...Wil needs to get here soon! TT Thanks for Lyn's, Rath's, and Guy's hair colors! I was really confused about those... Thanks again for the really nice review! P.S. Please don't sic Dullahan on me...he sounds scary...meep...

* * *

It was too late to get to Laus now, since the sun had long past gone down. Rebecca didn't really mind the change. With the moon up, the atmosphere was so much more quiet and peaceful than it was with the sun's glaring rays. She sighed and shivered. Even though it was much prettier by moonlight, it was also unfortunately much colder. Why did she always have to wear a short skirt? She shook her head. Her mother would scold her harshly if she ever found out that Rebecca forgot to bring her traveling cloak. Perhaps Krista had one to spare, since she was always wearing hers even when it was burning outside. Either way, Rebecca knew that they would have to either stop here in this Caelin village, or she would have to get something warmer to wear.  
  
Fortunately, Hector chose that moment to exercise his voice. "Bah! Dark already." Krista rolled her eyes at him for stating the obvious.  
  
"We'll have to stop here for the night. We'll set out for Laus at the first sign of sunlight." Eliwood looked around at everyone. "Prepare the camp." Everyone, except Hector, nodded and went off to do as he said.  
  
"So this is Caelin? You think we ought to present ourselves to Lord Hausen?" asked Hector, showing a rare exhibition of courtesy.  
  
"We're simply passing through, so I don't see the need." Eliwood looked away suddenly, his eyes shining with a past memory. "I am curious how Lyndis is getting along, though."  
  
Hector stared at his friend questioningly. "Lyndis?"  
  
"Marquess Caelin's granddaughter."  
  
"Oh, her—the missing heir who dealt with Lundgren last year." Hector frowned in trying to remember something. "Hey, didn't you have something to do with that?"  
  
"Mm." Eliwood flushed ever so slightly, and refused to give a more detailed explanation.  
  
"And?" asked Hector, determined to get more than a 'Mm.' "The granddaughter? Is she a beauty?"  
  
Eliwood's flush got deeper. "A beauty? She's...I don't...she's..." he stuttered. "I think it must be her Sacae heritage. She's...uh..." He searched for the right word. "...striking..."  
  
"Striking?" Hector smiled slyly, and poked Eliwood jokingly in the side. "Too bad, isn't it?"  
  
"What?" asked the Pheraen lordling, a little afraid of the answer.  
  
"That we don't have time to see her, loverboy!" snickered Hector.  
  
If it was possible, Eliwood became an even deeper shade of red. "No! Lyndis and I are... We're not..."  
  
"You're not?" Hector smiled knowingly. "Then why are you getting so worked up?"  
  
Eliwood glared. "Hector! Don't make me angry!"  
  
"Ha ha ha ha! You're so much fun to tease! I—"A shrill scream pierced the still night air, and Hector looked up into the air searching for the source. "Huh? What was that?" He turned to Eliwood to make sure that he wasn't hearing things. "Did you hear something?"  
  
Eliwood nodded. "It was a scream. Someone's being attacked!"  
  
Hector grinned. "Does that mean we get to help? A.K.A.-Beat the #$% out of the attackers?"  
  
"Of course!" cried Eliwood, filled with righteous fury at the attackers. Hector fingered his axe, eager for a fight.

* * *

A man with gray-blue hair and rich clothing was struggling between what looked to be two bandits. "Oh noooooo!" he screamed. "Someone! Help!!!"  
  
The bandit with buck-teeth, probably the underling, growled under his breath. "Grrr! Stupid old fool! He's kept us running in circles for hours!"  
  
"My... My valuable merchandise!" pleaded the man in rich clothing. "What are you going to do?"  
  
The bandit with sharp eyes, probably the leader, smiled. "Hey, look at this. The old fool's wealthy."  
  
The underling laughed. "Our lucky day. Eh, Puzon?"  
  
The rich man did not like where this conversation was heading. "Let go! Let go!! Will you let go!!!" But for all of his struggling, Puzon would not weaken his grip.  
  
"What a racket!" complained the underling. "Puzon, can we get rid of this simpleton?"  
  
Puzon shrugged. "I suppose so." An evil glint appeared in his eyes. "There's no reason to let him live."  
  
The rich man's eyes widened as he realized what his kidnappers were saying. "Oh my!! Eeeyaaaaahhh!"  
  
A voice came from behind Puzon, filled with righteous indignation at the scene. "Release him!"  
  
Puzon swung around, still keeping a tight grip on his captive. "Who—"  
  
Eliwood came quickly over to them, and repeated his order. "I told you to let the man go!"  
  
Hector strode up beside his friend, wielding his axe and smiling. "If you move quickly, we'll let you live."  
  
To their surprise, Puzon laughed. "Ha! A pair of dandies like you? You know what I think?" His expression changed to one of loathing and disgust. "Living off your parents' names, prancing about... I despise you! Come on! Don't hold back!" He brandished his blade. "We'll kill you all!"  
  
It was at this moment, that Krista, Rebecca, Lowen, Bartre, Guy, Dorcas, Matthew, Oswin, Marcus, and Serra, ran up to Eliwood and Hector. They had heard the screams and had come to investigate after setting up the camp.  
  
Puzon scowled, for he knew that he and his underling would not be able to take on all of these people. He pushed the rich man toward Eliwood, and ran off laughing maniacally. "I'll be waiting!"  
  
Hector balled his hands up into fists, as he watched Puzon run away. "I'll get that little—"  
  
His statement was cut short by an arrow whizzing out from the darkness. The Ostian lordling managed to dodge it, but only by a small margin. "Where the heck did that blasted—"  
  
Again, Hector was not able to finish his statement, because another arrow flew out from the same source.  
  
"Hector!" Eliwood slammed into his friend, knocking him to the ground and out of harm's way. He then took out his sword to prepare for the next attack.  
  
"Aaah! Protect meeee!" cried the rich man. "I'm just Merlinus, a humble merchant! I don't know how to fight!" He grabbed Eliwood, and continued to plead and beg.  
  
"Agh! Get him off!" cried Eliwood. "I can't fight with him hanging on me, and it's so dark anyway..."  
  
Krista snapped her fingers. "I've got it!" She turned to Matthew. "Do you still have your torches?"  
  
Matthew nodded, and lit one of his torches. The light flared high and bright, lighting up the area around them. The archer that had been shooting at them could be seen clearly now.  
  
"Rebecca!" shouted Krista.  
  
Rebecca smiled. She knew what to do now. She strung an arrow, aimed, and fired, all before the stunned enemy archer could lift his bow. Yes, she was finally getting the hang of this, and it felt good.  
  
Unfortunately, Matthew's torch had also revealed enemies other than that archer, and Krista found herself in a difficult position. She could not really fight, but here she was, stuck in the middle of what seemed to an ambush. Having that merchant guy here wasn't helping any either...  
  
There was only one opening—to the south. Krista focused on that opening. If she could just get through there with Merlinus, her comrades wouldn't be so hindered. There was just one problem. What if there were enemies down there? She shook her head. It was too dangerous for just her and Merlinus to try and make a run for it alone. They would need someone to cover their escape. Her trained tactician's eyes scanned the battlefield, trying to find an ally who wasn't fighting yet. Ah, there!  
  
"Guy!" The addressed Sacaen turned around to face Krista.  
  
"Yes?" he asked. When he saw that he was facing the tactician, he got confused. "Whoa! Um...what are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be...well...not on the battlefield?"  
  
Krista nodded, and proceeded to explain that she and Merlinus had to escape. That way everyone else would not be hindered by the stress of having to protect them.  
  
Guy saw the wisdom in her plan, so he agreed to help her. "So all I have to do is cover you?"  
  
"Yes." Krista smiled. "Thanks, Guy!"

* * *

Rebecca watched Krista, Merlinus, and Guy leave, relieved to know that they would be safe. Guy was a pretty good swordsman, and he was trustworthy too—a little goofy sometimes, but still worthy of respect.  
  
"Ow! Why you!" Matthew's cries startled Rebecca out of her daydreaming. After quickly notching an arrow, she looked for Matthew's attacker.  
  
Matthew cradled his wounded arm, while an enemy brigand smiled in triumph. The brigand lifted his axe, which glinted eerily in the moonlight, and prepared to end Matthew's life.  
  
The Ostian thief did not flinch. He was determined to show no fear to this brigand, so he stared right into his hating yellow eyes. It seemed like an eternity, but Matthew soon noticed the axe starting to fall. This is it, he thought, and although he tried not to, he flinched and closed his eyes.  
  
He could hear a whistling, followed by a thud, and then, shuddering at the sight that would greet him, he opened his eyes. Immediately he wished that he hadn't done so. The brigand opened his mouth to howl, but blood gushed forth causing him to choke instead—not the nicest thing that Matthew had ever seen. The brigand then fell forward, sputtering and choking, with an arrow protruding from his neck. Now where did that arrow come from? wondered Matthew. He would not have to wonder for long.  
  
"Hey, Matthew! Are you OK?"  
  
The thief looked up at the sound of this voice. "Oh, Rebecca! Hey, thanks a lot for...you know...saving my life and all that."  
  
The archer smiled. "Sure! I'm always ready to help a comrade-in- arms!" She paused, and then stated, "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean that I can't fight, you know."  
  
Matthew looked confused that she would say such a thing. "Well, of course you can fight." He smiled as if from a fond memory. "You remind me of a girl I know..." He trailed off, a goofy smile plastered on his face.  
  
"A girl?" Rebecca persisted, a sly smile on her face.  
  
She didn't think it was possible, but Matthew actually blushed. "Um...yeah...there's this girl I know... She works for Ostia too...and, well..." He trailed off again, but this time it was out of embarrassment.  
  
Rebecca giggled. "So...you know this girl who works for Ostia just like you...and?"  
  
"And what?"  
  
Rebecca rolled her eyes, simply not believing Matthew's act of ignorance. "And..." she started. "Is she pretty? What's she look like? What's her name? Why do I remind you of her? Are you going to get married? How many kids are you going to have? What are you going to name—"  
  
"Agh!" yelled Matthew, who had been getting redder and redder with each question. "Stop asking so many silly questions! My head's starting to hurt..."  
  
Again, Rebecca giggled. "Well, are you going to answer my questions, loverboy?"  
  
Matthew glared and refused to answer.  
  
"Fine." Rebecca declared. "If you won't answer my questions, then I guess I'll just have to answer them for you." She smiled shrewdly and cleared her throat. "She's very pretty with her red hair and violet eyes. Her name's Rosella. You're going to get married and have twelve kids, and you're going to name them Matthew, Matthew Jr., Little Matthew, Mattie—"  
  
"Aaah!" exclaimed Matthew. "Fine! I'll answer your silly questions if you'll just stop with the madness!"  
  
Rebecca grinned in triumph. "Good. Now start at the beginning. What's she look like?"  
  
Matthew sighed in defeat. "Well, you got the red hair and violet eyes part right, surprisingly enough. But her name's not Rosella, it's Leila..."  
  
"Go on," commanded Rebecca, who was excited by the fact that Matthew was going to spill the beans on him and his sweetheart.  
  
"Ah..." Matthew's eyes seemed far away—in another time and place. "I was going to ask her to marry me, but then she got sent on some secret mission..."  
  
After a brief silence, Rebecca quietly asked, "You miss her don't you?"  
  
Matthew looked at her in gratitude for her understanding. "Yeah..."

* * *

Eliwood narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the darkness. Hector sighed and twirled his axe in boredom.  
  
"I doubt that there'll be any enemies over there, Eliwood."  
  
The Pheraen lordling looked doubtful. "But this is the direction that we saw Puzon run off in..."  
  
"Ugh..." Hector made a disgusted sound. "Don't remind me of him. He made me mad enough to kill."  
  
A sinister voice came forth from the blackness in front of them. "You mean you aren't always this mad?"  
  
Both lords pointed their respective weapons toward the voice. Eliwood stepped forward still holding his sword in front of him. "Who are you, and what do you want with us?"  
  
A laugh arose from the darkness, ominous and menacing. "Who am I? I believe you already know who I am. And what do I want with you?" The voice laughed again. "I want...your DEATH!"  
  
A man with sharp eagle eyes and a sword to match, leaped from the darkness—Puzon. With a yell, he matched swords with Eliwood, fighting with such passion that Eliwood struggled to defend himself, much less attack. He was fading fast, and this Puzon was just so strong and quick. What could he do?  
  
Puzon was disappointed. He had thought that fighting a lord would prove to be a worthy battle, but this little red-head was much too frail. Puzon smiled. He supposed he would just have to dispatch him quickly and get on with life. So, seeing an opening in Eliwood's defenses, he jabbed his sword in swiftly, reveling in the lordling's cry of fear and pain. Oh yes, this would be sweet...  
  
Hector couldn't stand it anymore. This Puzon had toyed with Eliwood long enough! The Ostian lord put his iron axe away, and pulled out his Wolf Beil. It pulsated with an inner energy, and Hector felt himself being strengthened. He licked his lips, smiling in anticipation. Puzon wouldn't know what hit him.  
  
Eliwood's body strained with the effort of both his wound and fighting Puzon. Sweat ran into his eyes, making it still harder for him to defend himself. He was getting close to his limit, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to fight for much longer. Listening to the clash of sword- against-sword, he clenched his teeth and kept on fighting through sheer will. What he wouldn't give to hear a friendly voice, if only for a moment...  
  
"Hey, Puzon!" Eliwood looked up, shocked and delighted to hear Hector's voice.  
  
Puzon was also shocked out of fighting at the sound of Hector's voice. He turned around to face this new opponent, since it seemed like the red-head was no threat to him anymore. Puzon smiled when he saw that Hector's weapon was an axe—this would be too easy.  
  
Hector focused on Puzon, determined to save his friend. As a youngster, he had gained the reputation of being reckless and clumsy, which wasn't that far off from the truth. However, he could be prepared and composed when he wanted to be—it just so happened that he rarely wanted to be attributed with those characteristics. He found them to be too sophisticated for him. In any case, Hector gripped his Wolf Beil, giving Puzon a mock half-bow in an attempt to anger him. It worked.  
  
Puzon glared at Hector, and prepared to charge. He would shut this high and mighty lordling up—for good.  
  
Hector glared right back, and lifted his Wolf Beil, ready to counterattack. Puzon's blow came swiftly, and Hector felt a shockwave run through his arm from the impact. There was no denying it—this Puzon guy was good. Nevertheless, the Ostian lordling refused to give in to someone like him. As if it could understand Hector's resolve, his Wolf Beil shone with a legendary power, giving him the strength to beat Puzon.  
  
Krista's mouth hung open. Throughout all her years as a tactician, she had never been able to witness a marvel like this—a critical hit. And of all the people to actually get one, it had to be Hector. Krista shook her head and shrugged at the odd humor of fate, then went back to watching the wonder take place.  
  
Puzon shut his eyes from the intensity of the light. This worked both to his advantage and against it. He was no longer being blinded by the light, but he couldn't defend himself either—the perfect target. Hector almost felt bad about cutting him down, yet, after seeing what he had done to Eliwood... The Ostian lordling decided that he would enjoy killing him without delay.  
  
The next moment revealed Hector standing triumphantly over Puzon's smashed corpse, and Eliwood looking on in awe. The Pheraen lordling had never seen his friend so, well...distinguished...before. Had something happened that had changed him? Eliwood didn't know if he would like it if Hector changed all of a sudden.  
  
"Hey," Hector's face was staring into Eliwood's, startling him out of his thoughts. "Are you OK?"  
  
Eliwood nodded and attempted to smile, but it turned into a grimace of pain instead. "Ah...I don't know..." He winced. "Where's a healer when you need one?"  
  
"Right here, m'lord!" Hector jumped up fifty feet into the air in startlement, as Serra came up behind him.  
  
"D-Don't DO that!" yelled Hector. Eliwood smiled. No... It would seem that good ol' Hector hadn't changed after all.  
  
"What?" Serra innocently inquired. "I saw all the pretty lights, and naturally, I followed them!"  
  
Hector mumbled something under his breath, and Eliwood gave a little chuckle. It quickly turned into a cough, and Serra turned to Eliwood, concern etched on her face. "Oh...you poor thing!" She brought her staff out. "Don't worry...I'll fix you right up!"  
  
Eliwood sighed, not looking very happy at all.

* * *

"Ooof... Blast!" cried the brigand with buck-teeth—the very same one that they had found with Puzon earlier. "I won't forget this!"  
  
Hector picked him up, and shook him like a little rag doll. "Then you're smarter than you look!" He threw the brigand to the ground. "Get out of here!!"  
  
Eliwood looked on, an odd half-smile on his face. "It looks like you're becoming soft, Hector. Before, you would have killed him, but now, you let him go."  
  
Hector grunted. "Just...don't tell anyone, OK?" He turned to Eliwood. "I've got a reputation to keep, you know!"  
  
"Of course, Hector. Of course you do." Eliwood replied, laughing.  
  
A glare was all that Eliwood received.

* * *

After rejoining with the others, Krista introduced everyone to Merlinus—or, at least, she tried to. He kept demanding to see the leaders of the group. It would seem that he would only speak with Eliwood and Hector—something about them having the money. Krista wasn't too clear on the details, but she dubiously let him talk with the lordlings anyway.  
  
"So..." sighed Rebecca. "What are we supposed to do?"  
  
"Eavesdrop, of course!" stated Serra, as if it was obvious.  
  
Krista shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"  
  
"Well..." Lowen started.  
  
"I think that was a rhetorical question." Matthew interrupted. "I'm all for eavesdropping. After all, it might give us important insights on this Merlinus guy."  
  
"I agree," said Bartre. He looked at Dorcas, and smiled. "And so does my buddy, Dorcas, here." Dorcas sighed heavily, but didn't disagree.  
  
"Sure!" Guy piped up. "And besides, we would want to know if our leaders were in trouble, right?"  
  
At Guy's statement, Marcus, Lowen, and Oswin declared that eavesdropping would be fine with them too—only to make sure that their charges were safe, though.  
  
Krista gave Guy a grateful smile. "It's unanimous, then?" Murmurs of assent filled the room. "Good. Then let's all tune our communicators to Eliwood's and Hector's signal..."

* * *

Always the selfless one, Eliwood wanted to make sure that Merlinus was alright. "Are you injured?"  
  
Merlinus was surprised by such a question, especially from a noble. "No, not at all. As you can see, I'm as fine as fine can be."  
  
Eliwood nodded. "I'm glad to see that. We'll take our leave then." He turned to go. "Let's go, Hector."  
  
"Wait a moment, please!" Merlinus wanted to give them something to say thank-you, and perhaps, he would even get on the good side of a noble... "A token of my thanks..."  
  
Eliwood shook his head. "Do not worry yourself. We did nothing to merit reward."  
  
"That's right." Hector agreed. "Besides, we've no need of a peddler's junk."  
  
Merlinus's eyes bulged, and he sputtered. "P-P-Peddler?"  
  
Eliwood jabbed Hector in his side. "Hector!"  
  
"Oops!" apologized Hector, trying to hide his smirk.  
  
Fortunately, Merlinus did not see his smirk. He cleared his throat. "You'll find no other traveling merchant whose goods compare. Now don't let your eyes fool you; I'm actually quite prosperous."  
  
"Huh?" Hector scratched his head. "You're a merchant? You mean, like books and knives and all that?"  
  
Eliwood sighed. "Hector, your manners are terrible." He turned apologetically to Merlinus. "Merlinus, please... Pay no mind to what this oaf has to say." Again, he jabbed Hector in his side.  
  
"No, of course not." Merlinus agreed. "I wasn't concerned at..." Hector narrowed his eyes, as if daring Merlinus to say anything else. "Eeep! Uh..." The merchant frantically searched for a safe topic. "Um... You two obviously come from highborn houses. Would you grant me the honor of your names?"  
  
Eliwood smiled. "I am Eliwood, son of the marquess of Pherae."  
  
"And I'm Hector," said Hector. "Marquess Ostia's brother."  
  
"Goodness! Ostia! Pherae! The greatest houses in all of Lycia!!" Merlinus suddenly got very excited. He looked like his life's dream had been fulfilled. "Ahh... To be saved by noblemen such as yourselves... It is an honor beyond words!"  
  
Hector grinned, basking in the praise. "It's nice to be appreciated for a change." A sly expression crossed his face, causing Eliwood to look at his friend in mild curiosity. "Hey, Merlinus, what are your plans anyway?"  
  
"Pardon? My plans, my lord?" Merlinus didn't seem to understand why Hector would ask such a question. "Well, I had planned to travel Lycia selling my merchandise, but..." He hung his head. "It may not be possible in such dangerous times."  
  
Hector's grin grew broader. "If that's the case, then why don't you come along with us?"  
  
Finally understanding what Hector had been hinting at, Eliwood gave his friend a piercing look. "Hector?"  
  
The Ostian lordling attempted to defend his decision. "Our travels will not be ending anytime soon, and we've gained more people and more items, right?" He shrugged. "It might be good to have help managing our things."  
  
Merlinus clapped his hands together. "Oho! Now THAT is a splendid idea! Managing merchandise is my specialty, after all!"  
  
Eliwood still didn't look too sure, as if he didn't want to burden the merchant with responsibility. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Quite sure, my lord." Merlinus nodded, and leaned forward to whisper. "To be honest, I've dreamt of working for a noble house. To have my fondest wish granted in such a way..." To both lords' alarm, tears started flowing from the merchant's eyes. "I cannot stem these tears of joy!" Merlinus tried to wipe away his tears. "Lord Hector! Lord Eliwood!! Keep me safe forever!"  
  
Eliwood seemed to think that Merlinus had gone crazy, so he didn't know exactly what to say. "Uh... Well met, Merlinus."  
  
Although Eliwood couldn't find much to say, Hector had a mouthful. "We're counting on you!" he said, as he slapped Merlinus on the back in comradeship. "Now, I've got some things I want you to carry..." He then proceeded to pull out his axe, his extra set of armor, his personal food rations, his water...  
  
"Yes, of course!" Merlinus seemed very eager to help out—perhaps maybe too eager. "Whatever you have, Merlinus will keep!"  
  
Eliwood just hung his head, and sighed. Why did Hector always have to open his big mouth...?

* * *

Krista hung her head, and sighed. "Why did Hector have to open his big mouth, and drag Merlinus along with us?"  
  
"Well," Rebecca began. "It'll be nice to have someplace to put my extra arrows..."  
  
"And the food supplies..." continued Lowen  
  
"And all my armor..." persisted Oswin.  
  
"And I'm sure the tent would be big enough to hold large meetings in..." Marcus went on.  
  
"And I can store all my precious jewels in there!" squealed Serra.  
  
Matthew rolled his eyes, and said sarcastically. "What jewels?"  
  
"Why, the jewels that people are going to give me, of course!" replied Serra.  
  
"And why would ANYONE give you jewels?" imposed Matthew.  
  
Serra flipped her pink pigtails, and gave Matthew a bright smile. "Because of all the work I do—healing people and such things."  
  
It was all Matthew could do to not explode on Serra. He knew that she had the most acerbic tongue on the planet, but she also had very delicate feelings that could be hurt easily—not the easiest combination in a person. Instead of saying something that he would later regret, Matthew calmly nodded at Serra, as if her explanation was perfectly acceptable.  
  
_Wow_, thought Rebecca. _Now there's someone who can control his emotions... I wish I could do that..._ She sighed in resignation. Too often had she let her emotions get the better of her.

* * *

A ten-year-old Rebecca cried into her mother's shoulder. "M-Mommy!" she stuttered. "Dan's making fun of me again!"  
  
"No I'm not!" shouted young Dan. "You just cry too much! Why can't you be like Wil? He's more fun to hang around with, 'cause he's not a crybaby like you!"  
  
"Enough!" Rebecca's mother stood up, stroking Rebecca's hair. "Dan, try to be more understanding of your little sister. You know she's not as old as you, so you have to help her, OK?"  
  
Dan stubbornly bit his lip, but nodded in submission nevertheless.  
  
Rebecca's mother smiled. "Good." She set little Rebecca down, and ruffled Dan's hair affectionately. "Now go play, you two." She looked out of the window, and chuckled. "I do believe that your friend is waiting for you."  
  
Rebecca followed her mother's gaze, and giggled in delight. Wil was making funny faces in the window, and gesturing for them to come outside and play. Both she and Dan complied eagerly to Wil's unspoken request.  
  
After they got outside, Rebecca turned her huge innocent eyes to Dan. "Big brother?" she timidly asked. "Is it true that you would like me better if I wasn't such a crybaby? Because I promise I'll try harder not to cry..."  
  
Dan looked down at his little sister. "Well... It might be easier—"  
  
"I knew it! You do hate me!" Tears started to form in Rebecca's young eyes.  
  
"Oh no!" Dan waved his hands frantically to try and stop her from crying. "It's OK! Really... I like you just the way you are! Ack! Please stop crying! I don't want to get in trouble with Mom again..."  
  
Wil just laughed. "You two are just so funny to watch!" Rebecca and Dan stared at him, as if he had suddenly sprouted wings and a tail. "Come on!" Wil continued, undaunted by his friends' stares. "Let's just go play, OK?"  
  
Rebecca wiped her eyes free from tears, and smiled. "OK, Wil!"  
  
Wil turned to Dan. "Well? You're going to come play, right?"  
  
Dan smiled too. "Sounds good to me."  
  
"Yay!" shouted Rebecca, hugging her two best friends. "We're going to always stay together and play, right? Even though I might be a crybaby sometimes?"  
  
Wil gave her a thumbs-up. "Sure! We'll always stay with you!"  
  
_Only you didn't... You left me...all alone...and you never came back..._

__

* * *

"Hey Rebecca?" Krista peered closely into Rebecca's face, startling her out of her reminiscing. "You alright?"  
  
Rebecca gave a small smile. "Yes. I'm alright. I was just thinking about..." She trailed off, not really wanting to finish.  
  
"Oh, OK..." Krista seemed to understand her hesitancy, so she left the matter alone.  
  
"Um..." Rebecca looked down at her hands. "This might be a funny question, but...I need to know..."  
  
"Yes?" Guy prodded.  
  
Rebecca took a deep, shaky breath. "Y'all... Y'all would never abandon me, right?" Several exclamations of confusion followed her statement, and Rebecca instantly regretted asking a question like that.  
  
"Why would you think that we would ever abandon you?" asked a worried Krista.  
  
"W-Well, I..." Rebecca had to steady herself. "A long time ago, my brother and best friend..."  
  
She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Serra. "Hey there, girl! Don't look so down! You know that none of us would ever abandon you!"  
  
"That's right," agreed Matthew. Then he whispered under his breath, so that nobody, except for Rebecca, could hear, "Even though I don't usually like to agree with Serra..." That made Rebecca smile, and a tiny bubble of laughter escaped.  
  
"Oh, I have an idea!" Guy piped up. "Why don't we all try to make Rebecca feel better and laugh?"  
  
Krista smiled. "That's a great idea, Guy! Now, we just need to find out one thing..."  
  
Guy looked confused. "What thing?"  
  
A sly expression crossed Krista's face. "Why... We just need to find out if Rebecca..." She paused dramatically.  
  
"If Rebecca is what??" cried Bartre, exasperated by all this talking.  
  
"TICKLISH!" proclaimed Krista.  
  
Rebecca gulped nervously. "And what exactly would you do if I was...?"  
  
Krista rubbed her hands together, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "What do you think?"  
  
"Uh..." Rebecca began to inch her way to the opening of the tent. "I- I think that I should be going now!" Then she quickly turned, and started running as fast as she could.  
  
"Let's get her!" yelled Krista.  
  
"Operation 'Take Rebecca back by Urgently Tickling Her' has now gone into effect!" laughed Guy.  
  
"Ain't that the TRUTH!" shouted Serra.

* * *

Rebecca: That was such a pathetic acronym!  
  
Me: Hey...I worked hard on finding just the right words for that you know!  
  
Rebecca: Ha...You've been drawing instead of writing little missy!  
  
Me: Uh...so what?? I've been drawing Fire Emblem characters...doesn't that count for something?  
  
Rebecca: I don't think so! You should write faster. You don't want me to have to get other people's muses up here, do you?  
  
Me: Ack! Don't give them any ideas!!  
  
Rebecca: It's my job.  
  
Me: ::sigh:: Alright...I'll try to write a little faster...but only if I get to draw some too!  
  
Rebecca: You drive a hard bargain...but OK. Now...about your sadly lacking bio...  
  
Me: Way ahead of you there! I actually stopped procrastinating, and fixed it up...kind of...  
  
Rebecca: What do you mean..."kind of"?  
  
Me: Uh...well...I didn't put any of the personal information, but I did put some other stuff...  
  
Rebecca: Are you being vague on purpose?  
  
Me: No! Of course not! I just...um...  
  
Rebecca: What else did you put on your bio?!  
  
Me: N-Nothing!  
  
Rebecca: That's it. I'm going to go check now!  
  
Me: Uh oh...  
  
Rebecca: Hm...Aha! A link to your deviantart! So THIS is what you've been doing instead of writing!  
  
Me: ::gulps:: Heh heh...sorry...I just like drawing!  
  
Rebecca: ::glares:: I suppose that I could let it slide this one time...You just have to do one thing to make up for it.  
  
Me: Uh...what do I have to do?  
  
Rebecca: Draw some pictures of me!   
  
Me: Uh...OK...  
  
Random question: Um...What do y'all think about the couple Dart/Farina? I just read their support and thought it was pretty fun. It would be kind of interesting for Rebecca to have Farina as a sister-in-law...and then that would mean that Florina and Fiora would be her sisters too...and since Florina's probably going to end up with Hector, who's best friends with Eliwood...Rebecca could get close enough to Eliwood so that he would trust her to be the nanny of his son...since she's Roy's nanny in the next FE game...  
  
2nd random question: Heh...Sorry about another question...but this kind of goes with my 1st question. Um...Does the game actually say how Rebecca ends up being Roy's nanny?  
  
Random fact: This will be my reasons for the couples I chose.  
  
Eliwood/Lyn – There were only two possible couples for Eliwood (not including Fiora, since she's definitely going to end up with Kent!)—Ninian and Lyn. At first, I was going to put Eliwood and Ninian together even though I don't like her very much, but then I found out that the gamers make such a big deal out of their relationship if they have an A support when Eliwood accidentally kills her. I just thought that that would be too much to put into my story, and besides, I'm supposed to be focusing on Rebecca/Wil, right? And then, if Eliwood and Ninian do get together, she would have to leave her brother alone...so sad. I have a little brother, and I wouldn't want to leave him alone looking so sad...::sniff::. Besides, Eliwood needs a more active partner—not a passive one like Ninian. Their personalities are just too alike for each other—opposites attract! Lyn would at least have interesting things to talk about, while Ninian would probably just keep apologizing for his father...blah blah blah... I also think that Eliwood/Lyn would be more interesting than Eliwood/Ninian, because Lyn's exotic and fiery and she actually has a mind of her own—attributes that would make for a fascinating marquess's wife. If she and Eliwood married, then they would be able to have peace between two countries (I don't know if you would call them countries...), and it would almost be like a union between the uncivilized and the civilized...although I'm not calling Lyn uncivilized! It's just that she was brought up on the plains, and he was brought up in a sheltered environment...so they would be able to combine their skills of plain-speaking and diplomacy to get a good balance. They wouldn't skirt around an important matter, and yet, they wouldn't bluntly blurt out hurtful, dangerous information. Yes, information can be a dangerous weapon, especially when you're talking about high-ranking people. Uh...sorry about my rant...I didn't mean for it to get this long...  
  
Kent/Fiora – They're just perfect for each other, OK? They probably have the only support conversation that "mentions" marriage. I put mentions in quotes, because they don't really say it straight out, but they hint at it MAJORLY! Besides, there's really nobody else that would go well with these two...  
  
Hector/Florina – Originally, I was going to pair Lyn up with Hector, because they make such a funny couple...but then I realized that if Lyn got paired up with Eliwood, there could be no Hector/Lyn. And I wasn't about to do one of those weird triangle love things...just too complicated and strange...meh. Anyway, Hector is really Florina's ONLY possible guy. Yeah, the makers should have given her more options... And I wasn't really that opposed from pairing Hector and Florina up...because Florina could be the one to reveal Hector's gentler side, and what better way for Florina to get over her fear of men, than to fall in love with the brashest guy ever? Besides, if Florina and Hector get together, and Dart and Farina get together, then [read random question #1...I don't want to go into another explanation...]  
  
Wil/Rebecca – I better not have to explain this one to you!   
  
Erk/Serra – At first, I was going to put Erk and Priscilla together, but then someone showed me how romantic Heath/Priscilla was...::sigh:: Great stuff...but anyway... Erk's and Serra's supports are just so funny, and in the A support, they actually admit how much they understand about each other. They insult each other, but still manage to tolerate each other, which makes for the funniest couple ever! Besides, their ending is so hilarious too—Erk is trying to study, but is distracted by his growing feelings for a certain pink-haired cleric. Then Serra leaves Ostia declaring that she'll stay by her dear Erky forever...or something like that. Oh, and if Erk and Serra do get together, Ostia will be free of Serra forever... Now who wouldn't want that?   
  
Heath/Priscilla – This is just so tragic and romantic—the perfect angsty love story, after Matthew and Leila, of course. It's also a typical fairy-tale romance, because the guy is of a pretty low class, and the girl is of high-status. Their ending's just so sweet and sad too. I think it goes something like Heath tells a weeping Priscilla that he'll return for her...::sniff:: Now where have I heard that line before? Oh yes...In lots of the good angsty romance stories. The girl will wait for her guy forever...so precious... Anyway, in her supports with Erk, she seems a little too petty and jealous to me... That's just my opinion though...  
  
Pent/Louise – Omg...If I have to explain this one to you...  
  
Jaffar/Nino – Have you read their A support?? Their probably the only pair who actually confess their love for each other. No, Kent and Fiora don't count, because they just talk about getting married, which does imply love...but they don't just come out and say it. Jaffar/Nino all the way!!  
  
I might have some other couples...but I can't think of any others right now... So, REVIEW please...Thank you. 


	8. False Friends

Disclaimer: Huh? What's a disclaimer for? ... ... ...Fine! I don't own Fire Emblem or Apujananta's walkthrough! ::cries::  
  
Rebecca: Stop drawing and start working more on your stories!!!  
  
Kira: Yeah. :)  
  
Me: Aaaah! Who are you??  
  
Kira: I'm hyliansage's muse. Remember? I was willing to help Rebecca out for a little bit! So...here I am! :)  
  
Rebecca: Isn't that nice?  
  
Me: ::sweatdrop::  
  
Rebecca: Don't just stare at her like that!! Say, "Hello, Kira! It's so nice to meet you! I'll stop being a buttmunch about updating my stories now that you're here!" SAY IT! ::glares::  
  
Me: ::is too busy being scared to say anything::  
  
Kira: Um, Rebecca? What's wrong with her?  
  
Rebecca: ::shrugs:: What's _right_ with her?  
  
Me: Waaah...Leave me alone!  
  
Rebecca: Not until you say it!  
  
Me: ...Hello, Kira... It's so...nice to meet...you... I'll...stop...being...a...buttmunch... What the--! What the heck is a buttmunch??  
  
Kira: Oh, I know! :)  
  
Me: OK...  
  
Kira: You are! :D  
  
Me: O.O  
  
Rebecca: Nice job, Kira! We'll make an evil muse out of you yet!  
  
Kira: Thanks, Rebecca! ::high-five each other::  
  
Me: ......  
  
Kira: Aww...You're looking sad! Why don't you say thank-you to all the nice reviewers?  
  
Me: OK...

* * *

Hyliansage: Thanks for your review, but why did you have to volunteer Kira?? Hehehe...J/K. Kira's pretty cool...but don't make a habit out of volunteering her, OK? :) Rebecca's hard enough...::sigh:: Sadly, Wil is in the next chapter and not this one...but I so wish he was! TT Yes, I love Matt/Leila too...and I wish I could save her in my ficcy, but... I'm trying to be true to the game... Oooh! Spoiler for your ficcy! Hehehe...luv those! How many chapters do you think Wish will have? I'm excited...hehehe. I'm glad you like Dart/Farina! Makes me happy. It's kind of sad that Rebecca isn't one of the main characters, so she doesn't get a cool CG...waaah... Oh well... You liked my explanations? ::starry-eyed:: Yay! I tried to give good reasons, but...I felt like I ranted a lot...meh. I can't wait for a certain story from you...::whistles innocently:: Thankies again for lovely review!  
  
Houyoku: ::nods:: Drawing and writing are definitely both great things of the world. :P ::gasp:: You have an idea for a Rebecca/Lowen? Write it, write it! Pwease? You're so good at writing...I'm sure you could just take a random idea out of the sky and turn it into something beautiful and elegant on paper...so... What am I trying to say? Write the one-shot! ;D Unless you're too busy, of course...wouldn't want to stress you out. Thanks for saying that about the critical hits. :) I get the most random ideas when I'm listening to music in front of a blank computer screen...hehehe. I hope FE6 will be released soon! ::loves Roy and Wolt:: Thanks for reviewing! ::hugs:: Btw...We have to get you a muse soon! ::smiles evilly::  
  
SweetMisery430: Jaffar/Nino and Kent/Fiora seem to be the couples that everyone seems to like, which is fine with me. :) I'm glad you're not totally against Eliwood/Lyn now, since I gave a reason...I like giving explanations to practically everything I do...::sigh:: Darn school, making me explain everything all the time...! Wow, Nino...Erk/Ninian? O.o;;; Hehehe...It's OK. Rebecca's sometimes (coughallthetimecough) self-centered, too. Maybe it's a muse thing...::shrugs:: Thanks for reviewing! :D  
  
Sword of Seals (A.K.A. – Sauce): Hehe...Sorry about the 'sauce' thing...I just couldn't resist. ::nervous smile:: Yay! I'm glad that you like Rebecca/Wil, Kent/Fiora, and Heath/Priscilla, too! Oh yeah...I love Harken/Isadora too, but somehow managed to forget to put them on the list. ::gasp:: Bad me! Oh well...They're almost like a canon couple anyway, since Isadora obviously loves him. She's says his name if she dies for goodness sake! Yes, yes! Continue working on your Harken/Isadora story!! Can't wait to read more! Thanks for reviewing! :D  
  
The Sword Master 125: Mwahahaha! You have a muse now! XD Wow...I wish I could not listen to my muse for a while, but then she would get me back later...::sigh:: I'm such a coward... Oooh...taking Adriana's Eliwood privileges away for a whole two days? You drive a hard bargain. Good job! :D I tried doing that with Rebecca and Wil, but it only worked for the first few times... I'll have to find another weakness...hehehe. Thanks for reviewing! ::hugs:: And btw... When are you going to update? I want to read more now that the great and mighty love confession has taken place...  
  
Burning phoneix: Sorry for taking so long with updates...::smiles nervously:: I just haven't had many good ideas lately...::sigh:: I really wish I could promise to update regularly...but I know I wouldn't so... Oh wow...You know what I just realized? I'm going on a trip and won't be back until July 18... Waaah...I won't be able to write or read fanfiction...::sniff:: Oh yeah...The mission was to protect Merlinus for 7 turns...heh. I guess I forgot...bad me, bad me. Omg...I don't think I'll ever write something as good as chapter 6...but I'll try. It's hard to write a really good chapter, and then try to write more of that same caliber, if you know what I mean... Yay! I'm glad you like Dart/Farina! :P I'll try to update soon...::sigh:: Thanks again for reviewing! Oh, and you can flame if you want...I don't mind that much...  
  
DTN: Yes! Another person who likes Dart/Farina! ::is happy:: Yeah, I had the pleasure of reading their ending...hahaha! XD Dart seemed really clueless, but that's what made it cute! Oh yeah...I keep forgetting that Pherae's where Rebecca lives... I guess my mind just didn't make that little connection... ::gasp:: If I paired Eliwood with Fiora and Hector with Florina, Roy and Lilina would be...related??? Aaaaah! I will never, ever, pair Eliwood and Fiora up together now...hehehe. Sadly, I have not seen the CG for Hector and Florina...I really want to though! And the CG for Eliwood/Lyn, Hector/Lyn, Eliwood/Ninian...heck. I just want to see all the pretty pictures! Hehehe...Thanks for your review!  
  
????: It's fine that you didn't review every chapter. :) Oooh...one thing. School = Evilness! That is a fact of life that everyone should know. Omg! I can't wait for Wil to come either! Maybe I just should have skipped some chapters to get to Wil...but that would be cheating. Hehehe... Aww...thanks for saying I write well...I don't really...but you're so sweet for saying it! ::hugs:: Alright! Another person who agrees with all the couples I'm putting in! I was afraid a lot of people would not be happy them, but happily, I haven't gotten that many complaints. Thanks for looking at my artwork! ::is very happy:: Yes, get a scanner, so you can share your pretty pictures with the world! :D Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Yoshimo: Wil/Rebecca is one of your favorite pairings? :D Mine too! It's fine if you like Erk/Priscilla better... Personally, I don't like pairing Serra up with anybody, 'cause she seems like the free-spirited kind of girl...but I already had Heath in mind for Priscilla, and she couldn't end up with Erk if she ended up with Heath...and I wanted to pair Erk up with somebody, and Serra was his only other option. Their ending is pretty funny, though. XD Yes! Poor little Florina did need more options... Hahaha...loved your explanation of Brimmimond (spelling??) talking with Serra! XD I want to meet him now...hehehe. Thanks for your review!  
  
Reiko5: Yay! Yet another person who agrees with all my pairings! ::hugs Reiko and Rei:: I'm too scared to hug Dark...hehehe. Oooh! T.A.G... I liked the acronym! I go crazy over those...heh. Yeah, I'm weird...::sigh:: Hah...I'm glad Rebecca doesn't live in my mind...I don't think I could last more than a day...but that's just me. Another sword for Dark? ::shudder:: Mommy save me... Whoa...um...OK...That was really random...hehehe. Um...Thanks a lot for reviewing!

* * *

Um...OK. This is probably one of the most random chapters I've ever written... You'll understand when you read the middle part...gah... It's...interesting...::nervous smile::

* * *

After stopping to help Merlinus, the group pursued their original course to Laus. Normally, Rebecca liked walking, seeing new sights, and listening to nature, but not today. It felt like she had been walking for practically forever, the trees and small buildings were all starting to look the same, and the chattering of the birds was starting to get on her nerves.  
  
"Someone should just shoot them..." she muttered angrily.  
  
"Whoa..." Krista gave Rebecca a sidelong glance, raising an eyebrow. "What's gotten you so riled up today?"  
  
Rebecca sighed, and flipped her braids back. "Sorry...I just can't stand walking one more step." She gave a greater sigh. "How long are we going to keep walking like this?"  
  
The tactician smiled. "We'll be there soon enough. Actually..." She pointed to a hill about half a mile away. "Laus is just over that hill. If you can hang on just long enough... We'll soon be indulging in all the leisures that Laus has to offer...which probably isn't that much." She added the last part as an afterthought.  
  
"Hm?" Rebecca gave Krista an inquiring look. "Why would Marquess Laus be that nice to us?"  
  
"Well..." Krista explained. "I heard that Marquess Laus's son used to be an acquaintance of Eliwood's, and it's a well-known fact that these nobles like to impress old friends with a showing of their power and wealth." She shrugged. "Don't ask me why, though. I'm just happy that we'll be able to rest for a bit. Never pass up a free meal, right?" She winked, and Rebecca felt her spirits lifting at the thought of a warm meal and a real bed.  
  
_Ah...That would be so nice..._ __

* * *

  
A man paced back and forth restlessly, his shoes clanking against the stone floor of his castle. He had short, dark purple hair, almost brown, chiseled features, and a mouth set into a deep frown. He was certainly upset at something, for he swung around almost violently, spitting out his words scathingly and harshly.  
  
"Are you certain? Pherae's heir is here?"  
  
The recipient of these questions appeared to be related to the man, for their features were very much alike—only this man was younger and had brown hair. He bowed to the first man, and then gave his answer. "Yes, Father. We've just received word from our lookouts. He's still beyond that hill, but he'll be here before long." It was a swift statement, leaving details out, but good enough for the moment. Besides, it didn't look like his father wanted to here anything more.  
  
The agitated, purple-haired man turned to face someone in a black cloak. One golden eye was the only trait that could be seen for the man kept his hood up. He looked a lot like...  
  
"Lord Ephidel!" spat out the aggravated man. "What is the meaning of this?"  
  
Ephidel did not seem at all perturbed at the man's show of anger. In fact, his silky voice gave no hint of emotion. "Perhaps when they reached Santaruz Castle, Lord Helman was still clinging to life." he replied quite calmly.  
  
"Y-You can't be serious!" cried the purple-haired man.  
  
Ephidel shrugged, as if it didn't really matter that much to him. "He couldn't have lasted too long, but..." A hint of annoyance showed in his golden eyes, but only for a moment. "Maybe he told them something."  
  
The man grabbed his head and moaned in exasperation. "That's terrible! Our plan!" He stared into Ephidel's eyes. "It's all for naught, isn't it?"  
  
To the man's great discomfort, Ephidel stared back with great intensity—so much so, that the man lowered his eyes. Then Ephidel spoke, soothingly and smoothly, as if he were berating a child. "No need to be so alarmed, my lord." The last part was said sarcastically. Perhaps he did not believe that Marquess Laus deserved the title. "Even if he told young Eliwood something of our schemes," he continued. "Pherae no longer has any power. All Eliwood could do is perhaps inform Marquess Ostia."  
  
This information did not comfort the purple-haired man at all—it made him worse. "Ostia?!" he screeched. "That would be ruinous! Lord Uther may be young and new to the throne, but he's dangerous..." The man slammed his hand onto the nearest object—a column—and grew red in his face, both at the pain his actions caused and his frustration. "That Helman! He was a coward to the end! To betray us now, when we're so close..." He paused slightly to catch his breath. "We only need a little more time to complete our plans for rebellion!"  
  
Ephidel smiled sardonically. "Then before Marquess Ostia becomes aware of any of this, you would do well to stop them here."  
  
The man breathed deeply to calm down. "Yes, you're right, of course." His eyes lit up, a gleam of sadistic hope in them. "We do have a chance! They have to pass through Laus to get to Ostia. We can silence them!"  
  
Ephidel nodded. "They must not pass." His golden eyes darted quickly to the brown-haired man, and then back again. "No matter what the cost."  
  
The purple-haired man clapped his hands together. "Then let us make haste! Call up our finest troops!" He was about to dictate more orders when the brown-haired man stopped him.  
  
"Father! Please, let me take the command."  
  
The purple-haired man froze, different emotions running across his face—surprise, doubt, and perhaps even a little worry for his son. "Erik!" he cried. "Tell men, son, can you succeed?"  
  
Erik smirked. "That clod Eliwood and I studied together in Ostia. He's a trusting fool. If he sees me, he'll lower his guard." Erik's smirk grew wider. "And when he does, we strike!"  
  
Erik's father stroked his chin, a small grin beginning on his face. "I see..."  
  
"I beg your pardon..." It was Ephidel. "If, by some strange chance, Erik fell, things could turn for the worse." he warned.  
  
The purple-haired man waved his hand, calling for silence. "No, I know I'm the lad's father, but Erik's quite clever, I tell you. Snuffing Pherae's whelp will be no trouble at all."  
  
Ephidel gave a mock bow, and left the room. Erik's father sighed, relieved that he was gone. Then he turned to his son, grinning perniciously.  
  
"It's settled!" he announced. "It's up to you now, Erik. Bring me the head of Pherae's darling son!"  
  
Erik smiled, just like his father. "Yes, Father! I will not fail you!"

* * *

Just one more step, and they would be over the hill... Rebecca happily took that one step, and gasped at her first sight of Laus. Having been raised in a peaceful province, it was a shock to see what Laus looked like. It was...a battleground, or at least, that's what it looked like to Rebecca.  
  
She had never seen more metalworkers in one place before, hammering away at the lances—so many lances! She shuddered as she saw a few javelins—lances that could be thrown, and an archer's worst nightmare. Well, Rebecca frowned, thinking of many things that were worse than javelins, maybe not their _worst_ nightmare. She saw a few arrows and swords every now and then, but overall, this was a lance-producing area.  
  
Hearing a whinny, she turned toward the sound. Her jaw dropped. There were so many horses! Stallions, mares, chargers, geldings... And in so many different colors too! Chestnut, sorrel, white, black, spotted, gray... Rebecca's mind spun with all the sights that she saw—sights that pointed toward one thing. War.  
  
Hector was the first to break the uncanny silence that had settled upon the group at their first glimpse of Laus. "They truly are preparing for battle. Hm..." He brought his eyebrows together in concentration. "Marquess Laus! What is he scheming?"  
  
Uneasy silence prevailed—even Serra wasn't saying anything.  
  
Still, Hector wanted _someone_ to talk, so he turned to Eliwood, trying to think of an alright topic. "So..." he started. "You don't much look like you want to go to the castle."  
  
Eliwood turned his eyes to his friend, and sighed. "If we go and learn the truth... We may have to go to war." Rebecca gulped. That wouldn't be too good...  
  
"That's fine with me!" declared Hector.  
  
"I..." Eliwood still looked uneasy, and Rebecca couldn't blame him. "I've no love for war. If I concentrate on the foe before me, I'm fine. If I picture families, innocents, caught up in our foolish politics? If I imagine them..." He shook his head. "All I can do is pray for a way to solve things peacefully."  
  
Again, silence reigned supreme as everyone thought about Eliwood's words. Rebecca thought about her family and friends back in Pherae, and she also thought about her family and friends that weren't in Pherae. _Dan... Wil... Where are you...? I hope you're safe..._  
  
"Lord Eliwood!" Marcus broke the silence, pointing to a figure in the distance. "A knight has ridden forth from the castle."  
  
"A lone knight?" asked Eliwood.  
  
"Yes, my lord." Marcus answered. "It looks like Marquess Laus's son, Erik, but I can't be too sure with these old eyes of mine."  
  
"Don't worry, my lords!" exclaimed Lowen. "I will go forth, and see if this knight is of any threat to you." Then he rode off on Hartmut before anybody could stop him.  
  
"That Lowen..." Marcus sighed. "His heart's in the right place, but he's just a bit too eager sometimes..." Rebecca wholeheartedly agreed, although she thought it was very brave of him to encounter an enemy by himself.  
  
Soon, Lowen returned bearing a message. "That was indeed Erik, Marquess Laus's son, and he's asking to see you, Eliwood."  
  
The Pheraen lordling diplomatically hid his surprise. "Erik?"  
  
Hector, on the other hand, wasn't as good at hiding his feelings as Eliwood. "Gah..." he complained. "Why did it have to be that buffoon?"  
  
Eliwood rolled his eyes at _Hector_ calling someone a buffoon. "I will go and see him." he declared.  
  
"Well, go then..." growled Hector. "I don't trust him, though. Just..." He handed Eliwood his communicator. "Keep this on, OK?"  
  
Eliwood nodded, touched by Hector's act. "Alright... Let's just hope that I won't have to use it..." He took his communicator, and headed off to talk with Erik.

* * *

He stared at Erik from a safe distance, trying to see if it was the same Erik from their childhood. He looked more rugged, but that was to be expected. Other than that, Eliwood saw no other outward change in Erik's appearance. But...as one of his tutors used to say, "Appearances can be deceiving." Putting on a pleasant face, Eliwood forced himself to move closer to Erik.  
  
Erik saw motion at the corner of his eye—it was Eliwood...alone. Marquess Laus's son smiled. This would be easier than he had first anticipated. "Hello!" he called. "It's been a long time, Eliwood!"  
  
The red-head didn't beat around the bush. "Erik... What is your business?"  
  
Erik was taken-aback at Eliwood brusque comment. Perhaps this wouldn't be so easy after all. "My business? What do you mean?" asked Erik, feigning ignorance. "I heard my old friend was here in Laus. I merely thought I'd ride out to greet you!"  
  
Eliwood was silent, so Erik attempted to change the subject. He had to find out if Eliwood had had any contact with Ostia. "So tell me, friend, what brings you to Laus? Are you...on your way to Ostia?"  
  
"Hm?" Eliwood narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why would you think that?"  
  
"Well..." Erik frantically searched for a reason. "You...you were always such good friends with Hector. He and I never...got along very well. For a noble, his behavior was crude, and his manner of speech... You would have thought him a peasant on first glance."

* * *

"I'll give you crude behavior." Hector snarled, curling his hands into fists.  
  
"Ssshh!" snapped Krista. "Are you forgetting that they can hear us, too?"  
  
Hector looked sheepish. "Oh..." He lowered his voice considerably. "I'm going to go down there, and give that Erik a piece of my mind!" he whispered fiercely.

* * *

Thankfully, Erik was too intent on getting information out of Eliwood that he didn't hear Hector. "You're still friends with Hector, aren't you?" The Laus lordling asked, seemingly innocent. "When did you see him last? How do you communicate?"  
  
"Erik..." Eliwood began, cutting Erik off in the midst of asking his many questions. "You're after something." Eliwood stated as matter-of- factly as he could. "What is it?"  
  
"Pardon?" inquired Erik, still trying (but failing) to feign ignorance.  
  
Eliwood sighed. "Everywhere I look, Laus prepares for battle." He made a sweeping gesture with his hands. "What are you and your father planning?" The volume of his voice rose. "I will know the truth!"  
  
"Hm..." Erik frowned at the turn of conversation. "I'd hoped to wait until you'd told me of Ostia. Of whether you've spoken with the marquess or not."  
  
Eliwood shook his head, not understanding what Erik what muttering about. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Hm heh heh..." Erik stared intently into Eliwood's eyes, and for the first time in his life, Pherae's son knew what pure hatred looked like—it was staring at him. "Eliwood!" growled Erik. "I have always despised you. How I've longed to smash you and your pathetic morality into pieces! I've dreamed of this day, and here it is at last!" With malice burning strongly within him, Erik pulled out his hidden lance, and prepared to strike.  
  
"Too bad you'll not live to see the end of it." Hector stated as he came up next to his friend. Eliwood let out a sigh of relief. Good timing, Hector.  
  
"Y-You!" sputtered Erik. "Hector! You couldn't..." His eyes widened in fear. "Have you spoken with Ostia already?"  
  
Hector whistled innocently—or as innocently as he could be, being himself and all. "Maybe we have, maybe we haven't." Then he leaned closer to Eliwood. "Eliwood, this mongrel has troops lying in ambush all around us. Laus regulars, every one. Krista just warned me by communicator."  
  
Erik smirked. "Heh heh... There's little point in fighting. You're trapped! My forces will overwhelm you, an unending torrent of soldiers! Laus's elite knights are at the ready as well." He laughed maniacally as he pointed at Eliwood and Hector. "How long do you think you can survive?" He rode away, still laughing.  
  
Eliwood looked at Hector. "Don't worry, my friend. He'll get what's coming to him."  
  
Hector nodded. "Oh, he'll get what's coming to him alright...ME!" He patted his Wolf Beil fondly. "And my axe..."

* * *

(A.N. – Um...hope y'all don't mind, but...Hannah, the old lady who does the augury and stuff... She's probably not going to be in this fic...just 'cause I think she's not that important to the story... Correct me if I'm wrong, though, please! I haven't finished the game yet, so...I don't know if she has a big part to play or anything...TT So...yeah. On with the story!)

* * *

As one of her village's best hunters, Rebecca was used to shooting deer and boar—game animals. However, shooting horses was a different matter altogether. She had always thought of horses as noble creatures, worthy of respect, and her beliefs had been solidified by Hartmut and Roland—Lowen's and Marcus's horses, respectively. Since she was one of the designated cooks, she could raid the pantry as much as she wanted as long as everyone else still had enough to eat. Every once in a while, she would slip Hartmut and Roland a carrot or two, and would smile as the horses gobbled them up.  
  
Rebecca shook her head. She couldn't think about Hartmut and Roland right now. It would just make shooting the enemy horses that much harder, and she didn't want to endanger anymore of her comrades just because of a slight hesitation. Gripping her bow firmly, she nocked an arrow and looked around for an enemy.  
  
There! Bartre had managed to kill the rider, but in doing so, he had put himself in a very vulnerable position—right under the horse's hooves! Rebecca quickly aimed at the beast's heart, or at least, where she thought the heart would be, and let her arrow fly. With a whinny, the stallion fell, foam gathered at it's mouth.  
  
"Ugh..." Rebecca turned away. She had only seen one animal foam at the mouth once before, and that had been an extremely angry, rabid dog.  
  
"Hm..." Animals usually didn't foam at the mouth unless they were angry... A thought came to Rebecca: _What if the Laus soldiers are mistreating the poor creatures?_ With that supposition in mind, she felt a little bit better about shooting the enemy horses, but only a little bit. She still hoped to avoid killing them, but if the horses were so mad with rage and hurt... Rebecca sighed. There was probably little that could be done for them.  
  
The clang of lance against sword startled Rebecca out of her musing. She scanned the battlefield for the source of this harsh sound, and found Guy struggling with a cavalier. She gasped in surprise. What had possessed Guy to make him think that he could overtake a lance-user, and a _mounted_ lance-user at that? Well, whatever had possessed him, Rebecca would not abandon a comrade-in-arms.  
  
She moved swiftly into shooting range of the enemy cavalier, and strung an arrow. Aiming at the rider, she shot. Bullseye! Her arrow had found its way into the man's throat, achieving an instant death. At least it was a quick death, Rebecca thought. Now, to do the same to his mount...  
  
Gathering herself together for another shot, she looked up to spot her target—and stared into the biggest brown eyes she had ever encountered. Rebecca could not help but be drawn in by such huge, pleading eyes. She dimly registered the battles going on around her—Eliwood cutting down a cavalier, Guy running to defeat an archer, Lowen attacking yet another cavalier...but none of it seemed to matter when she stared into those orbs. Being so mesmerized by those eyes, she failed to notice what they were attached to—the horse.  
  
Rebecca gasped and stumbled back as she realized that she had been staring into the eyes of her enemy. She could have been killed! War horses were awesome allies in battle, but that meant that they were terrifying enemies as well. Rebecca hurriedly grabbed an arrow, fully prepared to defend herself from...from...  
  
The horse was just standing there gazing at her with those eyes...and Rebecca felt all aggression leave her. It made no hostile action, nor tried to run away. This made no sense! Weren't war horses supposed to be, well...not like this?  
  
Rebecca took this lapse in battle to observe the puzzling horse. It...no, "she"...was a beautiful chestnut, and if the light hit her just right... Rebecca gave a little gasp of delight. The horse's chestnut color changed to a rich gold. The dazzling effect half-blinded Rebecca, and she raised her hand to shade her eyes. Wrong move.  
  
Apparently, Rebecca's assumption about Laus riders mistreating their mounts was right on the spot. Taking the archer's action as aggression, the horse brayed loudly and pawed the ground nervously, about to gallop to safety. However, curiosity made her stay near the archer. She had never seen such a human before. Most of her life, she had been around rowdy, obnoxious humans that had whipped and abused her—molding her into a fighter...a killer.  
  
The mare remembered a time that one of her "masters", as they liked to call themselves, bound a human to pole and hit her, just like they did to some of the horses. It had confused the mare at the time, but soon, she had come to recognize that there seemed to be different kinds of humans. The ones that beat other humans, and the ones that took the beating. And after a while, she began to see the differences between the beaters and the beat. The beaters were always loud and harsh, while the ones being beaten were usually smaller and were shaped differently from the beaters. The mare didn't understand why they were beat, but that made them friend in her opinion. And this green-haired girl looked like a possible friend. The mare sure hoped so...she had had enough of being hit all the time...  
  
Rebecca quickly brought her hand down, correctly guessing why the mare was so upset. Getting an idea, she outstretched her hand in a gesture of "come here". Her common sense screamed at her to stop this foolish action, for the mare would just bite it...wouldn't she? Rebecca understood how irrational she was being, but for some reason, her hand stayed outstretched—beckoning the mare to come closer.  
  
The mare whinnied and stepped daintily forward, unsure of what to do next. As if in a trance, Rebecca calmly walked forward toward the mare, looking neither to the right nor to the left. The archer extended a hand, and with a slight show of hesitation, patted the mare on the nose.  
  
The mare gave out a startled neigh, but didn't make any other indication of displeasure. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying Rebecca's petting, for she had never felt anything like it before—it actually felt _good_. Having been a war horse for Laus, the mare had always thought of human hands as bad things—things that carried the whip and the lash. But now... She whickered in pleasure, maybe some human hands weren't so bad after all.  
  
Rebecca relaxed as she petted the mare. "Well, girl..." The mare looked at her curiously. "What's going to happen to you now that your master's gone?"  
  
The mare gave a snort, as if to say that her master wasn't all that good to begin with.  
  
Rebecca chuckled, and an idea came to her out of the blue. "Say... Do you want to come along with us? We could sure use another horse."  
  
The horse nodded vigorously, and Rebecca smiled. "You don't understand a word I'm saying to you, do you?"  
  
Again, the mare nodded vigorously, happy that Rebecca was smiling.  
  
"You silly creature!" laughed Rebecca. "Well...since you seem perfectly willing to come along with me, I might as well give you a name, right? How about..." She glanced at the mare's coat—shining golden in the sunlight. "...Kin?"  
  
The mare turned her head sideways to stare at Rebecca inquisitively.  
  
"Oh, Kin means 'golden', and I thought that since your coat was that color..." Rebecca tried to explain.  
  
Kin frolicked around like an excited, young colt, apparently delighted by her new name.  
  
That made Rebecca beam. "Good, I'm glad you like it!" she exclaimed. "Now... Will you let me ride you?" she asked hopefully.  
  
Kin nodded and pawed the ground, seemingly eager to get going.  
  
"OK!" cried Rebecca, excited at the prospect of riding a horse.

* * *

(A.N. – Can anyone tell that I like horses? ::nervous smile:: And I know that Rebecca doesn't have a horse in the game, but I just read Wil's and Rath's support conversation again and thought it would be cute if Rebecca tried to teach Wil how to ride... Yes, I get weird ideas like that all the time... Anyways...)

* * *

"Pirates??" shouted Rebecca atop of Kin. "What are _pirates_ doing here? They don't work for Laus do they?"  
  
Matthew, the enigmatic thief, shook his head. "No, I don't think they do... They're probably just coming because they see a fight and suspect it's the best time to raid." He looked quizically at Kin, but thought better of asking.  
  
"Oh..." Rebecca saw the sense in his explanation. "So... Do we stop them? I mean, if they're going to raid Laus, wouldn't it help us?"  
  
"I—"  
  
Matthew was interrupted by a crackle in his right ear. "Hey, Matthew?"  
  
"Um...yes, Krista?"  
  
"It would be quite helpful if you and Rebecca could dispatch the pirates."  
  
Rebecca watched Matthew's expression as he talked with Krista. He seemed confused for some reason, as if Krista was making an unusual request. "Well... Why?" Matthew asked the tactician.  
  
Krista sighed. "Serra just happened to see Erk, and he said that he would join us if we protected his employer, who was in the village to the south—the village that the pirates just happen to be heading toward right now!" She emphasized the last two words so strongly that Matthew winced.  
  
"Ow..." he grumbled. "Fine, fine. We'll take care of everything. Oh, and say hello to Erk for me, will you? ...Thanks."  
  
His conversation with Krista finished, Matthew turned to Rebecca. "OK. I just found out that we do indeed have to stop the pirates. Something about Erk's employer having to be protected..." A smile suddenly crossed his face. "Hah. If she's anything like Serra, she won't need any protection. Her voice would scare every enemy away!"  
  
Rebecca giggled. "Oh, come on. Serra's not that bad..."  
  
At Matthew's pointed look, she burst out laughing. "Besides..." she started, trying to change the subject. "Who's Erk?"  
  
Matthew smiled. "Oh, you'll know him when you see him. He's got purple hair, and he's a mage—you know, someone who uses anima magic? In fact..." The thief scanned the battlefield, and pointed at a flash of lightning. "That's probably him using his magic."  
  
"Really?" asked Rebecca. "I thought it looked more like a storm was heading our way..."  
  
Matthew feigned disdain. "How can you doubt my ability and my keen eyesight? That's definitely his magic."  
  
Rebecca shrugged. "Whatever, Matthew. Now...weren't we supposed to go stop some pirates?"  
  
"Of course," he replied. "And by the way..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"That was Erk's magic."  
  
"Matthew!"

* * *

Water soaked his hair and clothes, his shoes were covered in mud, thunder deafened him, lightning flashes blinded him, and through it all, she was there on her pretty little horse with a smug smile on her face.  
  
"Don't you dare say anything, Rebecca!"  
  
The girl archer just kept smiling—she didn't have to say anything.  
  
Matthew sighed. "Fine. You were right, OK? Happy now?"  
  
Rebecca's eyes danced. "Very much so. Haha...Come on, Matthew. It was just a—" She grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow. "Duck!"  
  
The thief quickly fell to the ground, cursing the day water and dirt had mixed together to make mud. Rebecca's arrow flew past him to land in a pirate's throat, and with a gurgling cry, the enemy collapsed. Unfortunately, the pirate wasn't the only one who involuntarily dropped to the ground.  
  
Kin reared up in the air, her eyes wide with fear, and Rebecca was thrown from the saddle. She landed right next to Matthew, who just laughed as he tried to help her up.  
  
"Haha... What did you do to make your horse mad like that?"  
  
Rebecca looked at Kin, who seemed calm enough now. "I don't know... It's not the storm... Maybe..." Her eyes went from her bow and arrows to Kin and then back to her weapons—she put two and two together. "I have a hunch..."  
  
The archer went slowly toward Kin, hiding her weapons behind her back. The mare stared at her inquisitively, probably wondering what Rebecca was doing.  
  
Kin didn't have to wait long to find out, for as soon as Rebecca got within an arms-length, she brought out her arrows.  
  
For the second time, Kin reared up in fear and confusion. Why was a friend coming at her with weapons? She didn't understand. Only hurtful people carried weapons—her "masters" had carried weapons...  
  
Rebecca quickly put away her arrows in the sling at her side, and Kin calmed down just a little bit. "Shh..." Rebecca soothingly murmured. "It's OK... Nobody's going to hurt you..." She sighed. "Though now I know that I won't be able to ride you into battle..."  
  
Kin stared at her in what looked like apology, and Rebecca smiled. "It's fine. I wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt anyway, and ruin that pretty coat of yours..."  
  
Matthew threw up his hands. "How long are you going to stand there and fuss over that silly creature?"  
  
Giving Matthew a glare, Rebecca went back to petting and stroking Kin.  
  
The thief sighed. At least there weren't anymore enemies around that he could see.

* * *

"Hector!" The Ostian lordling halted in mid-swing.  
  
"What, Krista??" he yelled. "Can't you see that I'm busy pummeling this sorry excuse for a lord, Erik??"  
  
Krista sighed. "Yes, I can see that. But don't kill him!"  
  
Hector fingered his axe, still keeping an eye on Erik. "Well, why not?"  
  
"Because," the tactician explained. "We need him for questioning!"  
  
It was Hector's turn to sigh. "Fine...but I was so looking forward to—"  
  
"Hector!"  
  
"OK... OK..."

* * *

The storm had passed, and now the sun was out shining full-force. Rebecca shook her head. The weather was so weird around here...  
  
"Is everyone alright?" asked Krista.  
  
"I'm fine." Rebecca answered.  
  
"Good, good." Rebecca could picture Krista nodding. "Well, we've defeated all of our enemies, and Hector's got Erik on a tight leash, so... Oh, wait!"  
  
"Hm?" Rebecca questioned.  
  
"You know that Serra practically dragged Erk into our army, right?" Rebecca responded with an affirmative 'yes'. "Well, it seems that he was escorting a troubadour named Priscilla on a mission to find her family or some such thing. And when they got to Laus, Marquess Darin kept them as 'guests' for much longer than he probably should have. I wonder what family she came from to get Marquess Laus so intent on her staying..." Krista sighed. "Oh well... It doesn't really matter that much. I just wanted to let you know that we now have a mage and another healer."  
  
Rebecca smiled and patted Kin. "You hear that, Kin? Our group's getting bigger each day!"  
  
Krista's confusion was evident in her speech. "Huh? Rebecca, who's Kin?"  
  
"Oh!" In all the tumult, Rebecca had forgotten about telling her comrades about Kin. "She's just a horse that I happened to come across... Um..." A sense of uneasiness held Rebecca's stomach in knots. "I will be able to keep her, right? I mean, I don't really know the first thing about taking care of a horse, but I promise I'll learn and—"  
  
The rest of her statement was cut off by Krista laughing. "Don't worry so much! Did you forget we have other horses in this army? I'm sure Kin will be a welcome addition!"  
  
Rebecca let out the air she hadn't known she'd been holding. "Oh... Thanks a lot! Kin won't be any trouble, I promise!"  
  
"I'm sure she won't be..." replied Krista. "Um... Sorry for cutting our conversation short, but I've got to go help interrogate Erik."  
  
Rebecca gave a little gasp. "You aren't going to..." Her sentence trailed off, but it was clear what she was getting at.  
  
Krista shook her head. "Oh no, not at all! I'm just going to make sure that Hector doesn't kill him, even though he's pretty badly wounded already..."  
  
"Oh... Well..." Rebecca searched for the right words to convey what she felt. "I can't say that I wish he would die, but I can't say that I wish he wouldn't either...if you know what I mean..."  
  
"Yes..." sighed Krista. "I do understand... And by the way, you can listen with the communicators as always. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on important information." Then Rebecca heard the closing click of her communicator.

* * *

The son of Marquess Laus trembled on the floor, whimpering about how nobility shouldn't be treated like this.  
  
"Come on, Erik!" shouted Hector. "Get up!"  
  
Erik glared at him, but did as he commanded. "You... You peasants... You can't treat a proper noble like this!"  
  
Hector seemed to tower over Erik as he bellowed, "It's too late for niceties! Be thankful you're still breathing!"  
  
"Hector!" Krista cut in. "Stop that!"  
  
Hector crosses his arms, and continued to glare at Erik.  
  
Eliwood sighed. "Erik, you must tell me. Where is your father?" he asked. "We've searched the entire castle, and there's no one here." He turned to Krista for confirmation.  
  
"That's right," she affirmed. "I've had everybody scour the castle from top to bottom, and he's nowhere to be found..."  
  
This seemed to be too much for Erik to bear. "D-Don't be ridiculous! My father would not abandon..." He slammed his fist against the wall. "No! He'd never..." A realization dawned upon him. "Ephidel..."  
  
Eliwood jumped at the chance to find out who this new person was. "Epidel? Who's that?"  
  
Erik sat in dumbfounded silence, his eyes with a faraway look in them.  
  
Hector, however, didn't want the conversation to end just yet. "Speak, cur!! Do you want to die here?"  
  
"Ah!" Hector's outburst frightened Erik out of his stupor, but now it seemed that the Laus lordling was too scared to say anything.  
  
Krista sighed. "Hector..."  
  
"Fine, fine..."  
  
Eliwood, seeing that Krista had a hold on Hector's temper, turned his attention to Erik. "Erik...please. You must tell us everything you know. I..." He hung his head. "I just want to know where my father is."  
  
"......" Erik didn't know what to say to Eliwood's plead, for nobody had ever talked to him like this before. "...Ephidel... He appeared at the castle one year ago. He came...and my father changed. Ostia's position had always bothered my father... He felt Laus deserved to rule all of Lycia...but..." Erik's eyes again had that faraway look in them, as if he was looking back in time. "But he'd never gone so far as to speak of rebellion."  
  
Krista's eyes widened. "Did you say...rebellion?"  
  
Erik nodded. "Ephidel had something..." He shook his head in remorse at the memory. "With it, he convinced my father to set this plan in motion. My father then sent envoys to several other marquesses. Marquess Pherae," Erik shot a glance at Eliwood. "He had approved of the idea."  
  
Krista gasped. "What?"  
  
Eliwood, in a state of disbelief, exploded. "Never! My father would never agree to such a thing!"  
  
Erik shrugged. "Believe or disbelieve. That is your choice. First was Marquess Santaruz. Then Marquess Pherae's reply arrived." Again, his eyes turned to Eliwood. "Marquess Pherae visited here six months ago to seal his approval."  
  
"That's not...possible..." whispered Eliwood, getting more and more dismayed with every word Erik uttered.  
  
"My father and yours argued vehemently that day." Erik continued. "Marquess Pherae always distrusted Ephidel. He tried to convince my father to send Ephidel and the Black Fang assassins out of Lycia. My father would not be pursuaded, and Marquess Pherae left the castle. As you know, he then disappeared." Erik's mouth twitched into a slight smile, seemingly glad that he could cause so much distress. "I doubt he's still alive."  
  
Hector was tired of being quiet. "Shut your mouth!" he shouted.  
  
But Erik was too far gone to listen to anybody anymore. "Eliwood said he wanted to hear everything. My father... He is but Ephidel's puppet. He'll listen to anything that villain says. Even watch his own son...die... ..." He shook his head, as if trying to rid himself of this horrible truth. "Those are the sort of people you're dealing with. Marquess Pherae betrayed them." A maniacal gleam came into his eyes, and he started laughing. "They would not let him live!"  
  
Eliwood's eyes widened, and he walked quickly out of the room. He would not listen to Erik anymore.  
  
"Wait! Eliwood!" cried Hector, as he ran to catch up with his friend.  
  
Krista took one moment to throw a disgusted look at Erik, and then went to follow Eliwood, too.

* * *

Eliwood had started out walking, then striding quickly, and now he was running. He was barely aware of his surroundings changing from tapestries, furniture, and lots of people, to trees, grass, and lots of forest creatues. Finally, when he couldn't run anymore, he leaned against a tree, gasping for breath.  
  
"Eliwood..." The redhead turned around to see Hector and Krista, concern written on their faces.  
  
"My father is alive..." stated Eliwood, as if saying it outloud would somehow make it true. "...I cannot believe he supports...rebellion. There must be... There has to be a reason..." He trailed off, looking hopeless.  
  
Krista placed a hand on Eliwood's shoulder in empathy. "I know. I don't believe any of this for an instant..."  
  
"Yeah!" agreed Hector. "My brother trusted Marquess Pherae more than anyone. First, we'll find your father and discover the truth, and then we'll talk to my brother."  
  
Eliwood smiled weakly. "I'm sorry everyone..."  
  
Hector wouldn't take that as a final answer. "Hey, don't look like that. Your father's alive, right?"  
  
Krista nodded in agreement. "Yes, of course. We'll find Marquess Laus, the Black Fang assassins, and this Ephidel... We'll find them all and prove your father's innocence!"  
  
Eliwood's smile grew ever so slightly. "Hai..." (A.N. – Um... 'Hai' is Japanese for 'Yes'... Don't ask me why I used it... I just felt like it...? ::smiles nervously::)

* * *

After many more hours of fruitlessly searching, Rebecca felt that they were never going to find Marquess Laus anywhere around here... A exclamation from her communicator made her concentrate on Hector's and Eliwood's conversation.  
  
"Blast!" cried Hector. "Where on earth has that snake Darin gone?"  
  
Eliwood sighed, sounding frustrated. "I doubt he's left Lycia yet, but... Hector...it's been many days. The death of Marquess Santaruz... Our attack on Laus Castle... Word of these things must have reached Lord Uther by now. And yet..." He looked at Hector, as if in apology for doubting. "He shows no sign of action... Why?"  
  
Hector shrugged. "I'm sure he has his reasons. My brother has other concerns tying his hands right now."  
  
The Pheraen lordling seemed confused. "Like what?" he asked.  
  
"It's Bern," his friend answered. "We've received distrubing reports over the past few months. Kind Desmond is behaving oddly, and if he sees even the slightest crack in Lysia's defenses, we believe he'll invade with all of Bern's might behind him." Eliwood opened his mouth to comment, but Hector wasn't finished yet. "My brother has only recently become marquess, as well as head of the Lycian League. He can't allow another country to see any weakness or discord."  
  
Eliwood looked thoughtful. "He has to present the face of stability and strength, is that it?"  
  
Hector nodded. "You've always been better with words, Eliwood."  
  
Eliwood patted Hector on the back. "Well, you have your own charms, my friend. Now..." Eliwood turned from joking to serious. "Back to what you were saying about Ostia..."  
  
"Oh..." Hector gave a great sigh, as if he could blow away all of his brother's problems. "It seems every country has a spy working in Ostia right now. They all want to assess the new marquess's temperament and skill, and if they sense anything wrong, word will spread like wildfire."  
  
"Um, Hector?" Eliwood asked. "You're the marquess's brother... Would not being at his side be seen as something 'wrong'?"  
  
To Eliwood's surprise, Hector gave a little laugh. "The marquess's brother is a well-known lout. If I WERE at court, they'd sense something wrong."  
  
Eliwood studied his friend's expression. "You're not too proud of that reputation, are you?"  
  
Hector smiled wryly. "Not in the least."

* * *

Rebecca's communicator crackled as someone else's voice joined Eliwood's and Hector's. It sounded like Marcus.  
  
"Lord Eliwood! Lord Hector!"  
  
Eliwood swung to face the newcomer. "What is it, Marcus? Have you heard something?"  
  
Marcus bowed. "Yes, my lord. A messenger from the east! Castle Caelin has fallen to a surprise attack from Marquess Laus!"  
  
This got Eliwood's full attention. "Castle Caelin?!"  
  
Hector stroked his axe. "They've struck again." He seemed eager to strike back.  
  
"Lord Hausen," Eliwood began. "Is he unharmed? And...Lyndis...?"  
  
Marcus shook his head. "We've no word on Lord Hausen or his granddaughter, the Lady Lyndis."  
  
Eliwood frowned in concentration and worry. "I never expected them to attack Caelin... Lord Hausen... Lyndis..."  
  
Marcus seemed impatient. "Lord Eliwood, Lord Hector... What should we do?"  
  
For Hector, it was a no-brainer. "There's only one thing we can do!"  
  
Eliwood nodded, glad that Hector wanted to help too. "We ride to their aid! There may still be time!"

* * *

Something prickled at the back of Rebecca's mind. Something about the Lady Lyndis...and Caelin... Where had she heard those names before? She shrugged. From the conversation she had just heard, she would find out soon enough.  
  
Gathering her belongings together into a bag, she swung herself onto Kin's saddle. Kin snorted at the sudden adding of weight, but otherwise seemed fine. She waited patiently for Rebecca to take the reins, and then trotted off to find the rest of the group.

* * *

Rebecca: O.o You...gave me a horse??  
  
Me: Um...yeah...  
  
Kira: ...?  
  
Me: Well, I gave Rebecca Kin mainly because I was tired of having her complain about walking everywhere, and...well...  
  
Rebecca & Kira: Yes??  
  
Me: I like horses? ::nervous smile::

Rebecca: O.o You have the weirdest logic on the planet...  
  
Kira: I think horses are cute! Like Areon...but, yes, I have to agree with Rebecca on this one.  
  
Rebecca: :P ::high-fives with Kira again::  
  
Me: ::sigh:: I can't believe this...I think I'll go lie down now...  
  
Kira: Aww...Poor, little authoress... Don't worry! Rebecca and I will take care of everything! ::smiles evilly::  
  
Rebecca: ::smiles evilly::  
  
Me: Um...I don't think I'll leave just yet...::looks suspiciously at Rebecca and Kira::  
  
Kira & Rebecca: ::whistle innocently::  
  
Me: Hm...I better end this chapter before they do something...  
  
Kira: Fine...::sniff:: I'll miss you, Rebecca!  
  
Rebecca: ::sniff:: I'll miss you too, Kira! Say hello to Areon for me, OK?  
  
Kira: I'll do that! Just one more thing before I go...::whispers to Rebecca::  
  
Rebecca: ::grins evilly:: I like it!  
  
Me: ...Uh oh...  
  
Kira: On three... One... Two... Three! Get her!  
  
Rebecca & Kira: ::tackle me and laugh::  
  
Me: ::runs:: HELP ME!!!  
  
Random question: Um...Does anybody know the name of Priscilla's horse? Or...does it even have one? Just wondering...  
  
Random fact: WIL IS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!!! :D  
  
Random fact #2: This will probably be the sole story that I'm going to be working on for a while... I haven't had much inspiration for my other ones lately...::sigh::


	9. At Caelin

Disclaimer: ::sniff:: I...I don't own Fire Emblem! Or Apujanata's Turn-By-Turn walkthrough...TT

Me: Omg!! I'm so mad!

Adriana: Why?

Me: Don't you know?? Somebody deleted this chapter, so I had to write it all over again! And to top it all off, just put up something that said they don't allow script/chat writing anymore, so I don't know if I'm allowed to rant like this anymore! ::goes into her room and cries::

Adriana: ...Is she always like this?

Rebecca: Meh... You get used to it after a while.

Adriana: Ah, I see. You know, she should get a guy...like my Eliwood...::dreamy sigh::

Rebecca: Right... By the way, Adriana, sorry that my authoress couldn't give you more time to rant and be evil like a normal muse. Apparently, she's worried about not allowing script writing or some nonsense like that.

Adriana: It's all right. There will always be more chapters...::evil laughter::

Rebecca: XD I like how you think. Now onto the thank-you's.

* * *

**Houyoku: **Haha...I tend to be random a lot of the time...::nervous smile:: Wow, you like dangerous animals? I like wolves and snow leopards too, 'cause they're just so pretty and wild at the same time. Of course, I wouldn't really want to meet one in real life...but it's nice to imagine. :) Mwahahaha! You SHOULD use Emyth as your muse! He would be a refreshing change from the normal, evil muses A.K.A. – mine. :P Yep, Wil is in this chapter, finally! ::sigh:: I'm trying to color more now, and your tutorial thing really helped, even though I'm just kind of going crazy with the 'Dodge' tool... Ooooh, Erik is the Marquess of Laus in FE6? Oops...I thought he died...oh well. It's awesome that you get Clarine there! ::sigh:: I wish I knew Japanese, so I could play all the games that haven't been translated yet... Hehe, I think it's funny that Clarine's like Serra... You wouldn't expect it from Pent and Louise, huh? ::smiles:: Thanks for reviewing!

**SweetMisery430: **Yeah, the Rebecca on a horse idea was very interesting to me...hehehe. It's going to be so fun to make her teach Wil how to ride, and then he'll fall and she'll laugh...XD Aaah! It's Nino back with her non-canon couples!! Hector/Fiora...::shudder:: Raven/Serra...Oo Sain/Vaida...You know, they actually have support conversations with each other, but I hope that that doesn't mean they can have an ending together...::shudder:: Yes! We should rebel against the evil muses! But then, they would probably get us back in the end... Yeah, I don't really think Priscilla's horse has a name either, but I don't mention her in this chapter so I guess it doesn't matter that much... :) Yay, our group finally comes together with the Caelin people! ::jumps for joy:: Thanks for your review!

**The Story Master 125: **:D It's good to know that my logic can be understood by some people...hehe. I'm glad you updated! But then I haven't seen a lot from ya' lately...::sniff:: Oh well, who am I to complain about updating late, right? ::nervous smile:: So sorry that Adriana couldn't get more ranting time...but I was really worried about saying that it was chat/script writing... I'm so paranoid... Yeah, why is it that muses have so much power in my fics? Why me?? TT Yes, we must all bow to the superior power of the fortune cookie...:P I look forward to your next chapter, too! Please hurry before I get all your OCs mixed up in my mind... Thanks for reviewing! ::hugs::

**Yoshimo: **I'm glad that Hannah doesn't have a big part to play, so thanks for clearing that up for me! :D Yeah, I've never seen a reference to Lowen's or Marcus's horse's names, so they probably don't have ones...sad... ::nods:: The wyverns and pegasi have names, but the horses don't...interesting to think about. Well, the Rebecca/Wil fluff kind of begins...emphasis on "kind of"... Haha, I'm such a bad person at stretching romances...--;;; Yay, for Kent/Fiora, Jaffar/Nino, and Serra/Erk! Serra/Erk is probably going to be the funnest to write. Thanks for the review!

**Reiko 5: **You point out every foal you see while traveling, too? XD My mom and I love to point out strange sights/animals along the road...especially horses. Sometimes we point out cows, too...haha, cows are fun. Wow, Dark seems...um, well...very dark, but interesting! ::nervous smile:: Just remind me to never make Dark mad...don't want to end up like Rei—charred to a crisp...::shudder:: Thanks for reviewing, and good luck with your muses! ;P

**Hyliansage: **Hehe...long reviews are good! It's OK, Kira, Rebecca liked working with you, too! It's just so much work to keep up with her, much less another muse...she tends to have bad influences on them. ::nervous smile:: Waah...I'm so sad that you can't finish your GS/PKMN fic...'twas one of the few humor fics that I actually liked...::sniff:: But anyway...::sigh:: I wish I could've just made this fic a romance one, but noooo...I had to go all action/adventure, too. TT Oh, well...I've got a few hints here and there...kind of... Yay! I'm glad that you're FE and Zelda fics are going to be pretty long! More chapters to enjoy...mwahahaha. I wish Heath came in on an earlier chapter, so Priscilla could get some romance in...I don't even think I mentioned her in this chapter...--;;; Hehehe...I draw a lot during school, too! It helps make the day go by faster...unless, of course, if you get caught...::sigh:: Yep, I love horses, but can't have one of my own...::cries:: XD I like your name for Priscilla's horse...but I was probably going to call her Elimine just to stay with the eight heroes names for the horses. Wow, I guess I should've played the whole game through before starting to write a story...hehehe. ::bounce:: Pent/Louise picture!! Almost done with it? ::puppy-dog eyes:: I want to see it... Thanks for the super-long review! It made me really, really happy! :D

**Knight lord eliwood: **Yes, I know...it's really sad...TT My game's Lyn is AWESOME, and Hector's pretty good when it comes to his attack and defense...but Eliwood's only good attribute in my game is his skill...meh... Is your Eliwood really good, stat-wise? Just wonderin'... I wish mine was...::sniff:: Thanks for reviewing!! ::hugs::

**Burning phoneix: **::sigh:: Chapter 6 was just so fun and easy to write, but now I'm kind of losing the inspiration I once had...TT Oh, well...maybe it'll come back later when I can actually get some of the romances started. Hehe...I knew that there would probably be a lot of confusion over Rebecca getting a horse, so I had to make up an excuse as to why she wouldn't ride Kin into battle. :P Sure glad that Hannah's not that important to the game—one more character I don't have to worry about. I think I'm going to call Priscilla's horse Elimine...but I don't think I even mention them in this chapter...Oo Really? You like Rebecca/Lowen? Interesting... :) Oh, by the way, did you get my emails? 'Cause I sent at least one, but you didn't reply...so I didn't know if you had gotten it...::nervous smile:: Thanks for your review!

**Seraphina Faye:** Wow...::blushes:: I'm glad you like my story so far. :D Oh, I've seen the CG for Hector/Florina, too! Sooo cute! Yeah, I was really sad when Raven and Rebecca didn't get together after you got their A support...::sigh:: I mean, I think that she was the only girl who he had support conversations with—not counting Priscilla! Incest...::shudder:: Yes, Legault should have someone to work with... He did have someone in the Black Fang, but then he was forced to kill her...I think that's in his supports with Matthew... Yeah, there are so many more males than females! TT It made pairing up the couples so hard, and poor Sain didn't get anyone... Oh well, he can still have fun flirting. :P Awesome! I want to try and get all the support conversations, too. ::smiles:: It helps a lot when writing stories and stuff... By the way, whose supports do you have so far? Thanks for such a sweet review! :D

**????:** Yes! Finally Wil makes an appearance...sort of. Haha, you'll know what I mean at the end...::nervous smile:: I'm such a sucker for stretching romances waaay long... Aww...You shouldn't be so hard on yourself! I'll bet that Farina/Dart picture was just fine. :) Yeah, I was lucky in the fact that my parents had already bought a scanner for their stuff...I just borrow it every now and then when I want to scan one of my pictures. Oh, I'm sixteen years old...I forgot to put that in my bio thing, didn't I? Hehehe...maybe I should go do that now... ::sigh:: It makes me so sad when I see fics with Rath/Wil, 'cause it's just so...weird! Maybe some people support that couple, 'cause Wil is the only one who's ever made Rath laugh... They just don't realize that Wil has Rebecca...:P

* * *

Oh, and by the way... I don't know whether Huey is a boy or girl, so... I'm just going to refer to Huey as a him in this chapter, and if I'm corrected later, I'll switch the "he's" to "she's" and stuff like that. Huey just sounds like a masculine name to me...::shrugs::

And...um...If some of these sentences are worded a little weird, I blame it on the fact that I'm trying to cram a summer's worth of Latin reading in two weeks... They had WEIRD sentence structure...::sigh::

* * *

Four people were gathered together in a clearing—two girls, and two guys. One of the girls was standing in the middle of the clearing with long, green hair tied up in a high ponytail and a worried expression in her bright, teal eyes. Her clothing was different from everybody else's in that she wasn't wearing any type of armor, and yet a sword was strapped to her side—a Sacaen's garb. Her sword glowed with a special aura, and certainly it was important to her as indicated by her touching it lightly every so often. Perhaps it was for assurance—or protection. She kept glancing at a spot in the forest, as if something of importance would happen there.

Sitting on a rock, right behind the Sacaen, was a timid-looking, orchid-haired girl. She had one hand up so that it covered her mouth, and her hair gathered around her face, so that only her huge, baby-blue eyes could be seen. If one stopped their scrutiny right then, they would believe her to be no more than a frightened child. However, if one looked closer, they would see how a spark of determination flickered in those eyes of hers. She was one of hidden strength, and her partner, Huey the Pegasus, knew it as he brought one of his wings to cover her. She smiled in gratitude, and stroked his body as a silent thank-you. And they both turned to look at the same place in the forest as the Sacaen—watching and waiting.

Sitting with his legs crossed on the ground next to the rock, was an archer with messy, brown hair. His expression of mixed boredom and concern, showed that he was not used to being in this kind of situation. Every once in a while, he would attempt to lighten the mood with a small joke or smile, but it didn't work. The air was just too tense and anxious for any of them to do anything but stare at that patch of forest, and wait for something to happen. The archer sighed in resignation as he too stared into that area of the forest.

Leaning against a tree, was a knight with green armor. He had messier hair than the archer, and probably the only thing that kept it out of his face was the dark green—almost black—headband around his head. His expression nearly matched the archer's, except he had more anxiety written on his face. In the beginning, he would peer into the forest and place a hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. However, after nothing happened for quite a while, he stopped being so tense, and had started to relax a little. After all, how could he remain so tense with two lovely ladies here with him?

Two horses stood next to this knight, both identical chestnuts except for their cladding—one had red, and the other had green. Logically speaking, the green-clad horse probably belonged to the green-armored knight, but nobody in the clearing seemed to fit the red-clad horse...yet.

It seemed to take an eternity, but the anxiously-awaited event finally happened. A knight with red hair and red armor to match, walked slowly into the clearing. He gave a deep bow to the Sacaen, and relayed his message.

"Milady, I've returned, and I have brought news. Laus soldiers are scattered from the castle to the edge of this forest. There..." Here, the knight stopped, as if he was unwilling to say more.

"Please go on, Kent," implored the Sacaen.

Kent sighed. "There...must be at least fifty soldiers!

The green-clad knight walked up to stand beside Kent, and addressed the Sacaen as well. "Are...Are you sure about this, milady Lyndis?" he asked. Apparently, she wanted to go back to the castle for some reason. "We barely escaped... Going back to the castle would mean almost certain death."

Lyn shook her head. "My grandfather is in the castle. I left the castle on his orders, but..." She curled her hands into fists at her side. "I can't leave him in there alone!"

This time, it was the archer who cautioned Lyn. "The numbers we face... Rescuing Lord Hausen will be no easy task."

The green knight nodded, and then stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder if we can expect any reinforcements."

"Hm..." A small glimmer of hope sparked in Kent's eyes. "You know, Sain..." he said to the green knight. "I overheard some of the Laus soldiers talking. They claim that Lord Eliwood invaded Laus and drove them out."

At the sound of Eliwood's name, Lyn flushed slightly—or perhaps it was just the sun shining on her face. "Eliwood?" she asked.

Kent nodded. "And it gets even more interesting... Not only did Marquess Laus abandon his castle, but he also left his son, Erik, behind when he fled here to Caelin."

"That's despicable!" cried Sain. "He abandoned his own son?"

Again, Kent nodded, his usually rigid demeanor turning into anger at such an act.

"But..." interrupted Lyn, trying to get the subject back to the possible reinforcements. "At least we know Eliwood is in Laus. We might be able to ask him for help." She sighed. "Assuming there were a way to contact him."

The archer ran a hand through his hair. "If we are to avoid being caught, the best path would be through the forest." He turned to Lyn and gave a small bow. "Shall I go?"

Lyn nodded. "I suspect you're right, Wil," she replied. "Horses cannot move well in woods..." Her gaze was drawn yet again to the forest. She seemed to be calculating something. "It'll take you a while, but you can travel lightly..."

"Lady Lyndis! I'll go!" cried a quavering voice—the little pegasus knight's voice. They all turned around, surprised at her offer. "I can fly above the forest. I can be in Laus faster than anyone else." With each passing word, her voice got quieter and quieter. However, she still seemed set in going.

"Florina?" Lyn asked, curiosity and worry mixed in her brilliant eyes. "You can't do this on your own! It's not possible!"

Florina looked down at the ground, and bit her lip before answering Lyn. She was determined to be brave for once in her life and help her friends. "Thanks to my time here, I'm no longer as timid around men as I used to be." Lyn looked like she wanted to interrupt, but Florina kept talking. "And I've met Lord Eliwood before. I'm sure I can do this on my own." Imploringly, she stared into Lyn's eyes, hoping that she would understand.

Lyn sighed. "It will be terribly dangerous... You understand, don't you?"

"Yes." Florina answered. "But...I promised that I would become braver for you. I'm not the weak little Florina I used to be." A small smile played on her face. "I'll be fine. Trust me."

Lyn smiled as well, proud of how much her friend had gotten braver in this last year. "You've convinced me. The job's yours, Florina. But..." She waved her finger mock-admonishingly in Florina's face. "You must promise me that you won't try anything impossible!"

Florina bowed. "Yes, my lady." After mounting Huey and taking off, she waved to all of them. "Farewell!"

Sain gave an admiring whistle after her disappearing figure. "Did you hear our meek Florina?" he asked the group. "She sounded most forceful—beautiful!" He gave a dreamy sigh.

Kent groaned and shook his head at Sain's remark, Lyn giggled a tiny bit, and Wil smiled. One would think that after a year of hearing his comments, they would have gotten used to them by now...

* * *

An enemy soldier thought he saw something in the sky. "Commander Bauker! There's something in the southern skies!"

Bauker immediately turned his line of vision to follow where his soldier was pointing. "Is that...a pegasus knight? Where do you supposed she's going?" he asked more to himself than anyone else. "Bah, it doesn't matter. We've been told not to let anyone out of Caelin." Motioning his archers over, he barked an order at them. "Advance! Bring her down!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Florina was riding on Huey, trying to remember her geography. "To reach Laus, I must go over the forest...and fly north. Then, I'll have to... Wait!" A group of people just coming into Caelin had caught her attention. "Who are those people? They fly no banner, and yet... Ah! That man in the lead!" Bright red hair, a red and purple cape, purple armor edged in gold, and a rapier strapped to his side—It was Lord Eliwood! "He's come to Caelin's aid!" she shouted in joy. "I have to tell him where Lady Lyndis is waiting!"

* * *

On the ground, unaware of Florina up in the air, Eliwood and his group stopped at the edge of the Caelin border. Hector narrowed his eyes to see the enemy better, and was confused at what he saw. "Why are their archers advancing? They're aiming at something up high."

Everyone in the group looked up to try and see what was being aimed at. Rebecca's eyes widened as she saw what seemed like a horse—with wings? She had heard stories of such creatures, but had never believed they had existed. Now what was it called again? Pema...pega... Pegasus! She was staring straight at a pegasus knight!

Kin snorted and pawed the ground, nervous at this new creature. Rebecca stroked her mane to comfort her, while still staring in wonder at the pegasus and the rider. The girl riding the pegasus didn't seem all that special. In fact, she seemed almost normal, except for the fact that she was up in the air riding on a horse with wings. Rebecca hoped that maybe she could try and ride on a flying horse someday, but for now, Kin was just fine. She patted Kin's nose affectionately, and the horse whinnied in pleasure.

"Lord Eliwood!" cried the pegasus knight, while waving frantically in the air. Rebecca was afraid she would fall off, but the knight seemed to be perfectly at ease on her mount.

"Could it really be..." murmured Eliwood. Then louder, he addressed the little knight. "Florina, is that you?"

The pegasus knight nodded vigorously. "Yes! I'm Lady Lyndis's—"

"Florina! Fly lower!" shouted Eliwood.

"Wha—Oh! Aaaaaaah!!!" She screamed as an arrow flew towards her. She managed to twist out of the way in time, but in doing so, she lost her balance on Huey and gravity did the rest.

"Florina!!!"

Rebecca watched in horror as the frail pegasus knight's body fell from the air, and Huey falling with her. Fortunately, they had not been that far off from the ground in the first place, and in any case, they had someone to break their fall—Hector.

After talking about the incident later, Hector would recall that he didn't know why he didn't just move out of the way and escape being harmed himself. He supposed that he felt a kind of need to protect the little pegasus knight, and it was just bad luck that her mount just happened to fall right on him, too. At any rate, Hector stayed rooted to that spot, bracing himself for the impending impact.

With a soft rustle, and a slight clank of armor hitting lighter armor, Florina was caught by Hector. This would have been a perfect scene if not for Huey, who fell right on top of them both. Rebecca would have laughed if the situation had been lighter, for a pegasus on top of Hector was just such a comical picture. However, the situation was not light. They had to make sure Florina was all right.

First, they had to get Huey off of their friends—not an easy task. The pegasus was so distraught and worried about his owner, that he kept rearing up and flapping his wings in agitation. Finally, some of the guys managed to restrain the poor creature, so the rest of the group could see if Florina and Hector were OK.

Rebecca sighed with relief. They looked a little worse for the wear, but who wouldn't after being "sat" on by a pegasus? In fact, Florina just looked like she was sleeping, and Hector...just looked like his usual self, only perhaps he was a bit more embarrassed than he usually was. Now, was it from the humiliation of getting squished by a horse with wings, or was it the little knight in his arms? Rebecca couldn't decide. He certainly seemed to be staring at the orchid-haired girl in a strange way.

Hector moved some of the hair out of Florina's face, and she gave a small moan. Her eyes fluttered open. "Ah..."

"Can you hear me?" asked Eliwood. "Florina?"

Her eyes became more focused, and she seemed to be more aware of her surroundings than before. "Lord Eliwood? ...I...Eeek!" Florina, just having realized where she was, scrambled out of Hector's arms like a scared, little bunny. Huey whinnied, and licked Florina's hand as if to say, "I'm here now. You don't have to be scared." Eventually, she calmed down enough to talk again, but kept throwing Hector odd, fearful glances every now and then.

Disgruntled, Hector muttered something that sounded like, "Am I some kind of monster? Heh..." Rebecca giggled. She liked this Florina already.

Eliwood seemed to think that he should help explain this awkward situation. "Uh...Florina?"

"Um...Y-Yes, Lord Eliwood?" she timidly replied.

"I feel like I should explain..." he began. "You see, those archers almost hit you. You avoided the arrows, but you lost your balance." He pointed to Hector, indicating that his friend had saved them.

"Oh..." whispered Florina. "I'm sorry. I'm such trouble..."

"I'm just glad you're not hurt." Eliwood stated. Then his thoughts turned to another whom he would be glad to know was safe—Lyndis. "Tell me, Florina, weren't you with Lyndis?"

The pegasus knight brightened up considerably at the mention of her friend. "Yes! Lord Eliwood, Lady Lyndis is beyond that forest. She's..." Florina looked down, and bit her lip. Apparently, she did not approve of her next statement. "She's waiting for a chance to assault the castle.

"She's what!?" cried the Pheraen lordling. Then, after a few seconds of stunned silence at his outburst. "Ah...um... Still, it's good to hear she's safe."

Florina nodded. "She's fine. However, Lord Hausen's been captured." She pointed to the northeast. "He's still in the castle."

"Well then, let's go!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the enemy lines, the commander paced back and forth. Finally, he couldn't stand the suspense any longer. "Someone get up there and scour the area! I want to know if we brought down that pegasus knight! If she's still breathing, make her stop!"

Immediately, one of his soldiers ran up to their lookout point to see if the pegasus knight was anywhere to be seen. While, he didn't see any sign of the knight, he did see something much worse. "My lord! To the west! We're under attack! It's the Pheraen noble, Eliwood!"

To the soldier's surprise, Bauker smiled sardonically. "He's here, eh?" the commander snorted in derision. "Now's our chance to show Marquess Laus our loyalty. Our opponents are a motley band of fools! They're no match for us!" After having said his piece, Bauker ordered his units to attack, while he waited at the castle gate.

* * *

"All right, everyone know what to do, right?" crackled Krista's voice over the communicators. "Florina, please take Hector up to the north, since there are a lot of cavaliers with lances in that direction, OK? And the rest of you...have fun, and try not to get killed. Krista out." There was a click on the other end, signaling that the fight for Caelin Castle had begun.

Rebecca saw Florina fidget uncomfortably as Hector tried to find a place to sit down behind her on Huey, who flapped his wings eagerly. However, this hampered Hector's progress even more, and made for yet another comical scene starring him and the winged horse. Eventually, they made it into the air without Hector falling off, and flew to the north. The archer prayed that Krista knew what she was doing by just sending them off by themselves to encounter enemy cavaliers. Florina looked awfully frail for a knight.

Turning her focus from Florina and Hector, Rebecca pat Kin on the nose before leaving her with Merlinus. Kin made a sad sound, but didn't resist. "I'll be back for you, golden one," comforted Rebecca. "I'm just not used to fighting on horseback, and anyway, every time I tried to shoot an arrow, you would rear up. I can't have that you know." The mare whinnied apologetically, licking Rebecca's hands fondly. The archer laughed, and then ran into the fray, her bow and arrows held high.

"Take that!" she cried, as she shot the cavalier in the arm. Unfortunately, it had not been his throwing arm. He lifted his lance (A.N. – I shudder now whenever I hear the word "lance" because of a certain story written by one of my friends, who would probably like to remain anonymous. She knows who she is, though!) in anger, aiming at Rebecca. She heard chanting in a strange language, and then suddenly the cavalier was on fire!

"How—?" she asked, bewildered. Then she saw Erk. _Oh, it must have been his magic..._ "Hey, thanks a lot, Erk!" He nodded, and headed off in another direction, chanting another spell.

_Having comrades is a good thing, _mused Rebecca, as she watched her friends fight. There were plenty of enemies to be sure, but there were lots of allies as well. So many, in fact, that Rebecca found she had some time to actually slow down and take a good look at her surroundings.

It was a pretty-enough plain, just take out all the blood and fighting, and Rebecca would love to have a picnic on the grass with the sun shining and the wind blowing just enough breeze to make it a pleasant temperature. Not to mention, there were woods on the southeast side of the grounds, probably filled with game to hunt. She smiled in pride, remembering how she had hunted so well back home. She had certainly shut Wil up after he had bragged about being the best hunter. Something pricked at the back of her eye as she thought of her childhood friend, and angrily, she shook her head. No, she couldn't start crying now in the middle of a battle! Maybe it was time to actually fight, instead of just standing on the battlefield looking at the sights...

Let's see, Matthew was fighting another thief, Guy was fighting a mercenary, and Lowen was engaged in battle with another cavalier... As far as Rebecca could see, every enemy was already fighting one of her friends, except—Aha! She notched an arrow, and quietly crept toward her target—yet another cavalier. Swiftly, she let fly her arrow, and shot him dead-center. Wincing at the look of surprised pain in his eyes, she strung another arrow, prepared to fire. It turned out that she hadn't really had to be prepared, for the enemy cavalier, after blinking a few seconds, fell off his horse and onto the ground, his blood slowly pooling around him. (A.N. – See? This is why I shouldn't read Latin before writing something. That sentence was so freakishy long...Oo)

The battle went on, and one by one their enemies went down. Rebecca smiled. She was getting a little better and better with each battle, and so far, she hadn't needed to be rescued by anyone except Erk. Her smile grew wider. She knew she shouldn't be happy about being able to kill people better, but at least she could protect her friends now, right?

In this mood, bordering almost on arrogance, Rebecca spotted who she thought would be her next victim—a brigand. She would always have a special hatred for brigands in her heart, since they were the ones who had attacked her village, eventually leading to her journey with Eliwood and Co. After notching an arrow, she prepared to fire. But something stopped her—pride. Surely she would be able to, with her growing ability, shoot straight and true with her eyes closed, right? Sure, she could.

Giving in to her pride, Rebecca aimed at the brigand, closed her eyes, and let her arrow go. Smiling, she opened her eyes to watch the brigand go down into the dust. Well, she had hoped to watch the brigand go down into the dust, but this didn't happen.

The brigand had managed to side-step out of the way in time, and if our little archer had kept her eyes open, she would have noticed his position. Gritting her teeth, Rebecca vowed never to be that foolish again, reminding herself that these battles weren't just some silly game or hunting exercise. They were real. Quickly, stringing another arrow, she shot at the same brigand, hoping that this time, her arrow would make the mark.

As it turned out, her hope had not been in vain. The brigand had no time to side-step out of the way this time as Rebecca's arrow came hurtling at him, shot straight and true. The arrow thrust into his throat, a sure-fire kill. Our archer gulped nervously and looked down. She could now take watching weapons through someone's arm or leg or even their stomach sometimes, but through the throat. A shudder ran up and down her spine. There was just something about shooting a weapon through someone's throat that made her shaky. It was the worst type of wound to watch a person go through—whether or not they were an enemy. She would watch the enemy stop in his tracks, both hands clinging feebly at his throat, while garbled sounds issued from his mouth accompanied with bubbling blood coming from his wound. Then he would fall to his knees, still making the pitiful sounds, and stare at his attacker. This was the part that Rebecca usually looked away from. Looking into the eyes of an enemy in that state... Nobody could pay her enough to do that.

Averting her eyes from the gruesome sight, Rebecca scanned the battlefield for more enemies. She couldn't see any close to her, so she just let her eyes drift. They landed on Eliwood and a girl he was talking to. The girl had long, green hair tied up in a ponytail, and some kind of tribal clothing. While her clothing and hair color was very interesting, it was not what had caught Rebecca's attention in the first place. It was the way she carried herself, proudly with her head held high. She seemed like the kind of person who would not compromise her beliefs for anything. Our archer smiled. She hoped that she and the girl would become friends in the future. But now, it was time to get back to the task at hand—ridding Caelin of these enemies!

By now, the noisy chaos had subdued quite a bit, and Rebecca could tell that now was the time to get the enemy leader. Her hunch was affirmed by Krista's command to attack the enemy leader. Steadily, most of the group made their way toward the glaring enemy commander, standing right in front of the Caelin Castle gate.

Getting her bow strung and ready to go, Rebecca followed the part of the group who were going to attack the enemy leader. In the rather large crowd of her comrades, she thought she spotted a familiar patch of brown hair. But no, it couldn't be...Wil??

Rebecca narrowed her eyes to try and get a better look, but that elusive sight kept evading her view. Frustrated, she traveled further up to see if it was really him. It probably wasn't, she kept thinking to herself, not wanting to be disappointed again. Lots of people had brown hair, right? Perhaps it was just another ally who had joined their troop during the battle. Yes, it most likely wasn't her childhood friend. Still, her curiosity had been aroused. Maybe she would just go up to see, just to see...

Our archer crept up closer and closer to the front, concentrating so hard on trying to find out if that person really was Wil, that she didn't realize she was exceedingly close to the enemy leader until it was too late.

A spear, seemingly out-of-nowhere, lodged itself in Rebecca's right thigh. A spasm of pain shot down through her leg, freezing her in that one position. If she tried to move, she felt like she would collapse, making her an even better target than she already was. However, if she didn't move... She didn't feel like thinking such morbid thoughts, but they pushed their way into her mind, enveloping her in a cloud of misery and confusion. Her eyes started to lose their focus, and she barely registered being picked up by someone on a horse. Lowen? No, it was someone with straight, red hair and red armor to match. Rebecca shivered, remembering something about people seeing red right before they died. She hoped there was no connection between the color red and death in her situation.

Mustering up her remaining strength, Rebecca turned around to see where the spear had come from. The enemy commander stared right back, smiling smugly—big mistake, on his part. That brief lapse in his defense, was all it took for a knight in green armor to get in and finish him off. Our archer sighed in content, pleased to know that at least their battle was won now, and she could drift off to sleep.

Before she could close her eyes, however, Rebecca's consciousness was dragged back into the waking world by a loud, cheerful voice.

"Huh? Hey! Rebecca? Yeah! Rebecca!" Rebecca moaned in frustration at such a loud voice making precious rest impossible.

"...Hm, who are you, again?" she asked, making an attempt to be polite. Just because she was tired and hurt didn't mean that she was rude—no matter how much she wanted to be. A huge yawn escaped her mouth. Maybe the guy would see that she was dead tired and just go away.

"Wha? It's me! You know! Wil! The guy next door!" Rebecca tightly closed her eyes, wishing with all her heart that he would stop shouting so loud. Her head was ringing, and her wound was stinging. She knew her mother would frown on what she did next, but desperate times called for desperate situations—she would be rude and pray for blessed silence to follow.

"...Well...I know of no such person." There. She had said the rudest thing that had come to her mind, not counting, of course, the sayings that would have made her mother clean her mouth out with soap later. Unfortunately, the guy just would not give up.

"Really?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused, and maybe a little bit hurt.

"... ..." Rebecca refused to give him an answer, hoping that silence would persuade him if being rude had not.

"Sorry...I guess I've got the wrong person..." Our archer sighed gustily at the guy's possession of so many words—he was so clueless! But something about him, made Rebecca feel bad that she had been so brusque with him.

"What?" she asked, attempting to be nicer to him. If he wasn't going to be quiet, then, she decided, it wouldn't be too terribly hard to listen to what he had to say.

"Well, so long..." Oh, well maybe the guy wasn't so clueless after all. What had he said his name was?

"Hm?" Now this was going to bother her. What WAS his name? Had he said it before somewhere in his previous loud, ramblings? First, he had said her name, and then—! Rebecca's eyes shot open, frantically searching for him.

"Wait..." she called out in vain. "...... Drat!" Rebecca feebly slapped her palm against the ground in aggravation. Wil! That had been Wil!

(A.N. – Sorry this last part was a little weird, but I wanted to stay true to their support conversation. And...since Rebecca vividly remembers Wil in the beginning of my story, it would be kind of strange to have her not remember him later on, right? ::nervous smile:: Well, anyway...I had to make Rebecca tired and worn out, so that I could stay true to the game and my story at the same time...yeah.)

* * *

The three lordlings of Caelin, Ostia, and Pherae, stood in front of the gateway to Caelin Castle. Most of the group had gone back to their encampment to get some respite after the battle, but some stayed to help out their lieges. Among the people that stayed were Florina, to help Lyn, Marcus, to help Eliwood, and Oswin, to help Hector. Marcus and Oswin had not liked the idea of letting their charges out of sight, and Florina flat refused to leave Lyn's side since she felt uncomfortable around new people without Lyn.

"Commander Bauker..." began Eliwood. "He was a fierce enemy." Nods of assent greeted his statement. Then he turned to Lyn. "Lynids, once we've defeated the remaining foe, the castle's yours."

Lyn smiled, and took Eliwood's hands as a gesture of thanks. "If not for your help, I don't know where I'd be right now."

Eliwood looked down at their hands, and the glare of the sun caught his face just right to make it look like he was blushing. (A.N. - ::snicker::) "W-Well, all of this happened because we routed Lord Darin at Laus. It's only right that we help."

Lyn nodded. "You already explained your motives to me, Eliwood. This is about your father. I would do the same thing in your position." Her brilliant teal eyes stared into his cobalt blue ones, as she said her next piece. "What happened in Caelin is not your fault."

The Pheraen lordling sighed in relief at his friend's understanding. "Thank you. However..." He turned his gaze to the castle right in front of them, hoping to get Lyn's attention drawn there. He was starting to get a little nervous, but he didn't understand why on earth he would be. "Until your castle is yours again, I take responsibility."

"I understand..." replied Lyn, following Eliwood's gaze toward the castle, her eyes revealing her worry for her grandfather. "Thank you."

At this time, Marcus and Oswin had begun to walk into the castle, and Florina tried to get Lyn's attention. However, her friend was too wrapped up in her conversation to notice. The pegasus knight, frustrated at her futile attempt, decided to tell Eliwood, but he didn't perceive her attempt either.

Hector, realizing what Florina was trying to tell her oblivious friends, shouted, "Hey, Eliwood!" That sure got their attention. "We're moving into the castle!"

Eliwood shook his head, embarrassed that he hadn't noticed anything sooner. "A-All right. Thanks, Hector."

"Sure," said Hector. "But you shouldn't thank me, thank this little knight right here!" At this, he gave Florina a small pat on the back. She didn't take it too well, giving a little squeal of fright, and running behind Lyn.

"Who IS that?" whispered Lyn to Eliwood.

"Oh, yes. Let me introduce you to Hector." Eliwood motioned for his friend to come closer.

"What?" asked Hector, annoyed that they were wasting time with petty introductions.

Eliwood smiled. He could always count on Hector to be brash and impatient, but that's what made him...Hector, and Eliwood was glad for him. First, he gestured to Lyn. "This is Lyndis. She's Lord Hausen's granddaughter." Then he motioned toward Hector. "Lyndis, this is Hector. He's Lord Uther's brother."

Lyn's eyebrow raised slightly, as if she questioned his origins. "His brother? Really?"

"Yep," replied Hector.

The Caelin lordling turned to Eliwood. "I was watching the way he fights..." she began. "He's not like you, Eliwood. He's somewhat like my own knights, but different still." She paused, trying to figure out the best way to describe Hector's fighting style. "He relies so much on power. It's like he's never been..."

"I haven't," interrupted Hector. "I taught myself how to fight."

Lyn nodded. "I have no issue with that, but the way you swing that axe around..." She took a deep breath. "You're a threat to your allies! You should be more watchful."

Hector was taken aback. "What did you say?" he questioned gruffly.

Eliwood also looked shocked at Lyn's outburst. "Lyndis? What's come over you?"

"Hm? Oh...I..." Lyn bit her lip, ashamed that she had let such an outburst escape. "My apologies... I didn't intend to seem so critical."

Eliwood came and put a hand on her shoulder, condescending and comforting at the same time. "Granted, Hector's style may be a tad dangerous, but..." He smiled at Hector. "There's no one I depend on more." Hector rolled his eyes and shrugged, but a small smile could be seen appearing on his face, while Eliwood continued his praise. "You may think him careless, but he's always aware of his surroundings."

Hector snorted. "The more you praise me, the less worthy I sound."

The Pheraen lordling just grinned, and said one more thing to Lyn. "Lyndis, once you fight alongside Hector, I'm sure you'll understand."

Lyn nodded, and placed her hand on Eliwood's hand. "I'm sure you're right." Then she turned to face Hector. "I apologize, Hector. I'm, of course, honored to have your help."

Hector shrugged. "No apology necessary. I'm glad I can lend a hand."

"Let's go inside now, shall we?" asked Eliwood. Concurring, Lyn took his arm and started to walk inside with him.

Hector sighed, a smug smile on his face. Those two were just so oblivious... Then his eyes lit on Florina, the pegasus knight. "Well, I guess we can walk inside togeth—"

Before he had even finished his statement, Florina squeaked and ran after Lyn, leaving Hector very confused and amused at the same time.

"Hmph..."

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the castle walls, secluded in one of the inner rooms, Lord Darin paced back and forth, while Lord Hausen watched on. Lord Darin exuded an air of agitation, confusion, doubt, while Lord Hausen displayed utter calm and serenity, not at all uncomfortable with his morality. He had told the marquess of Laus about Bauker's defeat, and the marquess wasn't taking it at all well.

"Ri...Ridiculous... Even Bauker?" Darin asked. His plan wasn't going at all the way he had wanted it to.

The marquess of Caelin sighed. "Lord Darin, it's time to give up this madness. Further resistance is meaningless." His eyes bore into Lord Darin, as if seeing into his soul. "For what you've don, you may never be forgiven, but it's not too late to try. Tell Eliwood everything. He'll intervene with Marquess Ostia on your behalf..." He trailed off, hoping that Lord Darin had listened and would do the right thing.

However, Darin just stood still, shocked at his misfortune. "I...I've...lost..."

Lord Hausen would not give up so easily. Perhaps there was still some good left in marquess Laus that could be salvaged. "Hurry! Eliwood will be here in no time. Let me speak for you—" In an instant, a blade stopped his entreaty—a blade wielded by a black-clad "human" with a golden eye. Lord Hausen dropped to the ground, his blood pooling around him.

The mysterious character smiled, taking pleasure in the pain that he had caused. "None of that now. Marquess Laus needs no troublesome advice."

Lord Darin's mouth opened wide, shock and horror running rampant through his mind. "L-Lord Ephidel?"

Ephidel gave a mock bow to the marquess of Laus. "There is no turning back for you now. You should know that. First, Marquess Santaruz...and now Marquess Caelin." He went up to Lord Darin, and put a hand on his head to emphasize his next statement. "Both deaths are on your head."

Darin sputtered in anger, and struck Ephidel's hand away from his head. "What? It was by your hand that they both died! I-I..." He hid his face in his hands. "I never asked for this."

"Yes, I killed them..." confirmed Ephidel, lightheartedly, as if their sacrifices hadn't meant anything to him. "...for you."

Slowly, Darin started to realize that perhaps Ephidel was not the helpful being he was pretending to be. Perhaps, he had been tricked by this sweet-talking creature of the black robe and golden eyes. "To...trap me?"

Quietly, Ephidel laughed, a cold and heartless sound. "Don't be absurd. I follow my master's orders," he spoke, honey-coated venom in every word he uttered. "My only wish is to deliver your dreams to you. The crown of a united Lycia... And once that is done, dominion over the entire continent." His golden eyes glinted, mesmerizing Lord Darin into believing him. "Is that not what you desire?"

Darin put his hands up to his head, as if trying to ward off an evil spirit or some such fiend. But, finally, he gave up the struggle. "Yes... Yes, of course. That dream IS still worth a few sacrifices, isn't it?"

Smiling, Ephidel nodded. "You're exactly right. Our plans may have gone drastically awry, but as long as we have the master's power behind us, we cannot be defeated." He stopped suddenly, listening to some silent command. "We'd do well to leave now, before those meddlesome worms arrive..." he told Lord Darin. "You will leave everyone from Laus behind. We will use them to delay our foe."

The marquess of Laus didn't like this idea. "Everyone... My soldiers? But...who will protect me?"

"The Black Fang and I will more than suffice for that task." Now, Ephidel seemed to be growing impatient at Darin's hesitance. "There is nothing else you need, I assure you."

"Yes..." replied Lord Darin, almost in a trance-like state. "I...I see that now." He just had one question left. "Where do we go from here?"

With a flourish of his hand, Ephidel spoke four words. "To the Dragon's Gate..." These words held such power, that Darin was still shuddering even after Ephidel had gone on to explain why. "Our master awaits us there. The master has informed me our hostage may be all we need. If all goes well, we may be able to perform the ceremony with him alone." He paused to see if this merited a reaction from the marquess of Laus.

"Oh! Is that so?" Darin asked. "I suppose we've nothing to worry about then..."

Ephidel nodded curtly, impatient to get moving. "That is correct. Now please, begin your retreat. I have two or three orders to give then I will be right behind you."

* * *

Lord Darin had left to sound the retreat, and now Ephidel and a woman were left with Marquess Caelin. The woman had shoulder-length, cherry-red hair that hung over one eye, crafty, violet eyes, and the guise of a thief. A small dagger was strapped to her side—the perfect weapons of an assassin.

It was Ephidel who first broke the silence. "Pathetic imbecile..." Then he turned to look at the woman. "Leila?"

"Yes, sir?" was her quick reply.

"While Eliwood is occupied, finish off Marquess Caelin and hide the body." He took time to give the said marquess a quick kick in the side, and smiled at his pain. "The enemy will waste precious time searching for him."

Leila bowed low. "As you command..."

Ephidel started to leave, but then turned around again. "You know, you've only been with the Black Fang a short while. However, you are quite skilled..." The firelight caught the gold in his eyes, and made it look like they were glowing. "I look forward to watching you."

The thief brought her dagger out. "Yes, sir."

* * *

Ephidel, that loathsome creature, had finally left. Leila let her breath out slowly, and put the dagger away.

Weak and frail, marquess Caelin managed to choke out a few words. "What...are you...doing?"

Leila smiled at him. "Saving you."

* * *

Me: Due to certain circumstances that are out of my control, there will be no more muse ranting in this chapter. However, if I get told that muse ranting IS allowed, I'll make sure to give Adriana a proper rant, OK?

Adriana: I suppose I can live with that...as long as you give me lots and lots of chapters alone with Eliwood.

Me: Hey, I'm not writing your story, The Story Master 125 is! And shhh, 'cause muse ranting might be considered bad on !

Rebecca: You're so paranoid...

Me: Waaah...stop talking! You might get me in trouble!

Rebecca: And that would be bad...how?

Me: TT ::runs into her room (again)::

Adriana: Wow...You've got to teach me how to that...

Rebecca: Sure! I'll teach you the WEYA—the Way to be Evil to Your Author/Authoress. ::evil smile::

Adriana: Yay...hehe, WEYA? That's a funny acronym! It's almost like the word, "Way", but then you have an 'A' attached to the end of it...

Rebecca: Haha...It's the Asian way! My authoress's family adds an 'A' to the end of any word to make it asian, but, of course, they've got to have the accent added too. It's quite funny to watch actually.

Adriana: I'm sure it is. But...perhaps we should stop now, since this is turning into a long rant now...and anyway...I heard from a reliable source that Eliwood was going to get me a present...::dreamy sigh:: Maybe it'll be a rare, black rose...

Rebecca: Yeah...Now, let's get to work on teaching you how to be evil...::evil laughter::

Adriana: ::cracks open a fortune cookie:: "Parting is such sweet sorrow"

Rebecca: ::nods:: We must listen to the great fortune cookies.

* * *

Random Fact #1: I'll probably try to focus on just a few of the pairings at a time, 'cause if I focused on all of them, my chapters would be waaaaaay too long...as if they're not already too long already...--;;;

Random Fact #2: School's going to start on Monday, so I know I won't be updating for a loooong time...TT

Random Fact #3: Now that I've read more of the story script, it would've been so much easier to do Lyn/Hector and Ninian/Eliwood...but hey, I like a challenge. ::smiles::

Random Question #1: I found out that Farina only comes in Hector's mode...so I was wondering if y'all knew what chapter she came in... That way, I can still have Dart/Farina in my story. ::grin::

Random Question #2: What exactly do the Afa's Drops do?? I mean, I used it experimentally on one of my units, and it said it "Increased Maturity"...? Oh, and who did y'all give the Afa's Drops to? Just wondering...

Random Question #3: Does anybody have any official pictures of the eight heroes? Or...do pictures of them even exist?


	10. Fight for Caelin and the Return of a Spy

Disclaimer: I hate these, and therefore, it seems perfectly logical to me to just not do one. However, that would lead to catastrophic consequences perhaps resulting in the depredation of my stories and reputation. In rendering this analysis, I have come to the conclusion that disclaimers must be done however much I may find them insufferable. Now, I shall utter the painful words of truth—I don't own Fire Emblem. (Ahem…sorry if I sound a bit archaic in my patterns of speech and word choice, but my English class is getting to me…Oo)

Rebecca: I've said this once, and I'll say it once more: You are SO weird!!

Me: Meep…I don't mean to…::sniff::

Rebecca: Hey! No crying allowed in my presence! Now…go reply to the nice reviewers!

Me: O.O Why must you yell…?

Rebecca: ::glare of doom::

Me: ::shudder:: I'm sorry, oh great and mighty muse…

Rebecca: ::smiles and pats me on the head:: There's my good, little authoress…

* * *

**SweetMisery430: **Phew…:) Nino was starting to scare me with all those non-canon couples…xD. Really? Sain and Vaida don't have supports together? Hm…I could have sworn that I read a support of theirs…maybe it was a fake! ::gasp:: Yeah! It would be so funny if you wrote it…::starts chanting:: Write it! Write it! :D Thanks for answering all the questions!! ::hug:: Dart/Farina's going to be so fun to write…mwahahaha… Yeah, I'll probably end up giving my Afa's Drops to Nino, just because she's so cute, and she needs it the most. :) Oh, OK… I know the website you're talking about! It's or something like that… It has a lot of the people from other FE games, too, like Roy (Eliwood's son) and Lilina (Hector's daughter). XD I still wish they had official pics, though…::cries:: Thank you very much for reviewing!! :D

**Hyliansage: **OMG!! Your review made me sooo happy! ::does a happy dance:: Yes, there will be some cute Matthew/Leila at the end, and I kind of went overboard with their conversation…simply because they don't get to have another one…::tear:: Bah…My Eliwood's stats are mundane at the very best… I think it's because he doesn't have good attack power like the other lords… Lyn could kill him, and Hector kills him…with his AXE no less! --;; Maybe I just have bad luck with him… Heh…I like stretching romances really long…so yeah. Wil and Rebecca's A support will probably be a long time in coming…O.o Hey…You have a point there with Florina and her pegasus. I bet she DOES have two!! ::gasp:: Aww…::blush:: You're so sweet…::hug:: I tried not to put as much dialogue from the game this time, especially when Leila and Matthew are talking. XD Oh, no…I didn't know about the special Lyn/Eliwood scenes…I feel so unknowledgable! ::dramatic sigh:: Um…um…Can you give it to me? ::pleading eyes:: Yep. Kenneth's the name of that evil bishop dude. XD Thanks for answering my questions! ::hug:: I find it ironic that I have the same affinity as both Eliwood and Priscilla, and those are the units that do the worst stat-wise…o.0 Thanks again for such a sweet (and long) review! Erm…by the way… Did you get my email? I can never be sure if my emails send right anymore…--;;;

**A fan of fire emblem: **::nods:: I totally understand where you're coming from the with Sain situation. I also think it's sad that he never seems to get paired up with anybody even though he has six supports with girls—well, five really, since he can't end up with Louise! XD Well, I would rather stay true to as many couples in the game that I possibly can…but I'll ask people if they think Sain should be paired up with someone… You see…the only available girls are Vaida, Ninian, and Krista…and any one of those paired up with Sain doesn't really make much sense to me…::nervous smile:: I suppose I COULD make an OC to pair up with Sain…but I'm not very good with OCs… Thanks so much for reviewing, though! :) And answering my Afa's Drops question!

**Knight-Lord-Eliwood: **Hehehe…I used to like Hector/Lyn better, but now I'm starting to like Hector/Florina instead. XD They just have such opposite personalities…such cuteness. :) Oh…I see where you're coming from on the Eliwood having balanced stats thing. Yeah…I guess he does have pretty balanced stats in my game…but I still wish he could have as much power as Hector or Lyn. O.O Whoa… Eliwood killed Lord Darin in THREE hits?? Now that's what I call good… My Lyn could probably do that, too, and with her maxed out speed… The bosses wouldn't know what hit them until too late! XD Thanks for reviewing! :D

**Yoshimo: **::blush:: Aww…Thanks! :) I'm sorry you're not a big fan of Hector/Florina…TT I wish I could write stories where all the different couples could be incorporated…but that's impossible…hehe…::nervous smile:: Oh, um… I'm confronting Linus first, because I like Lloyd and want him to live longer. XD J/K So…that means… Geitz instead of Wallace. Meh…I didn't like Wallace much anyway. He's mean to Wil. XD Wow…It's interesting you gave your Afa's Drops to Lyn! :) Lyn's so awesome that she doesn't need any items in my game to make her better…but Eliwood could probably use a boost. Then again, I want to use Nino, just because she's so cute! XD ::sigh:: I wish FE 6 was in English…--;; I'll just have to learn Japanese then… Thanks for your review! :)

**Burningphoneix: **Hehe…Sorry for always taking such a long time to update…;;; I bet you probably thought I had stopped updating, since this chapter took such a freakishly long time to write…O.o ::laughs at the English translators:: So funny for giving Florina's pegasus two names! XD I wonder how they could translate a name so differently, though… Huey and Makar don't sound anything alike! ::shrugs:: Thanks for answering all the random questions!! :D ::sigh:: I wish I could get Farina to join without having to give her money…but that's OK. She's a pretty good pegasus knight, and she can do the cool triangle attack thing with her sisters! XD Thanks for the review! :) By the way…You did get the last email I sent you, right? Sometimes my computer does funny things and deletes the emails I send! ::nervous smile::

**Akbar: **Wow! ::blushes:: Thanks a lot! And thanks for answering all my questions! Yeah, I've seen the official art of Elimine, and I've seen Athos in-game…but I've yet to see any picture of the heroes…::cries:: Maybe the artists just got lazy and decided to not draw the rest of the heroes? XD Um…Was your link something like drifting-dreams? That's where I saw a lot of official art for all of the FE games… It's great! Thanks for reviewing! :D

**Reiko5: **Alternate personalities, huh? XD Glad I don't have that problem…::nervous smile:: Dark's scary…:) Aww…Now I wish I had updated by Halloween, so I could have seen Dark in control…hehehe. Masochist? Oh, yeah!! One of those people who like pain or something? ::is too lazy to go look it up in a dictionary:: Yeah…School is so evil to me… It's stealing all my creative juices, which might be a reason this chapter took such a long time writing…--;;; Don't let it do that to you! Save yourself! :) Thanks for your review!

**Houyoku: **You didn't get an author alert?? O.o Uh-oh… That means…My author alert might not be working either!! Noooo…TT Yeah, I totally understand the not-checking-fanfiction-anymore-because-of-so-many-shonen-ai-fics attitude. I don't see how people can like that kind of stuff…--;;; The scariest one I've seen was where someone wrote a Nino/Rebecca one! 0.0 It made me so sick…gah…--; Hehe…computers hate me, too…especially when I'm in a hurry… It takes such pleasure in saying: "An error has occurred…etc." Wah! I luv the Dodge Tool, although I'm trying to not use it as much…::nervous smile:: Yeah! You should use Emyth as your muse! He'd be so encouraging and supportive! …Erm…That was sarcastic…XD Hey…You should tell me when you update that story, 'cause I don't have an author alert thing for that site…:) Aww…I'm really sorry that you don't like Hector/Florina or Eliwood/Lyn…::nervous smile:: Maybe I'll write a one-shot Lyn/Hector thing for you? Just not Eliwood/Ninian…noooo. XD Thanks so much for the critique! ::hug:: I tried to add in more of my own conversation this time when Leila and Matthew talk…:) ::nods:: I'll probably end up using my Afa's Drops on Nino, too. Thanks for reviewing! :D

**Random Person: **Yeah!! I had that idea at first, and was like, "Omg…What if Nergal's the eighth hero??? It would be so interesting to see what he would say to his old friend Athos!" But yeah… Then I found out that Brammimond—I can never spell his name right…::nervous smile::--was the real eighth hero… I still kind of wish that Nergal was the eighth one, 'cause it would have made the storyline more interesting…XD

* * *

The celebration for dealing with Bauker, one of Marquess Laus's allies, was short-lived, for there were still enemies inside Castle Caelin. Rebecca stood in the background, staring wistfully at the three lords discussing their next course of action. She overheard a little about prisoners of Caelin, but she had a hard time focusing; her mind was elsewhere.

Ever since her strange encounter with Wil, Rebecca had been irritated and angry. Confusing thoughts kept mingling together in her mind, vying for domination: _Was that really him? If so, then why did he show up all of a sudden? Why hadn't he written? Why was he here? Why did he have to leave in the first place? Why? Why?_

Kin snorted, jolting Rebecca out of her bewildering thoughts. She laughed, and patted the golden mare on the nose. Yes, she couldn't let her personal thoughts and feelings interfere with her fighting.Trying to smile, she left Kin with Merlinus and stocked up on arrows. And still, deep in the back of her mind, she hoped that somehow she would run into Wil again.

* * *

Inside Castle Caelin was a jail cell. It didn't look any different from the other rooms—stone walls, a stone floor, and a heavy, locked wooden door—except for the fact that it didn't have any of the niceties that one would have expected in the castle of a marquess. Instead of these luxuries, the room contained four people.

Two of the four people looked like they belonged inside, with the symbol of Caelin emblazoned on their armor. However, the other two people did not look like they belonged. One of them had dark, almost-blood-red hair, with dark, brooding eyes to match; it seemed as if he had lost his innocence much too early, and had tasted nothing of the good of the world. Whenever one of the inmates would try and strike up a friendly conversation, he would just glare at them and turn around. They soon learned not to mess with him.

The other inmate was the total opposite of the red-haired man, for this person looked like the very essence of innocence and goodness. Maybe it just came from his long, blonde hair and his blue eyes; or perhaps it was his monk's garb. Either way, righteousness emanated from his personage, calming his fellow inmates in such a way that even the red-haired man stopped his coldness every once in a while.

But the eye of the storm did not last forever. The enemies of Laus had finally arrived to free the prisoners and Marquess Caelin. The crimson-haired man knew that he should be glad of this turn of events, but something froze his pleasure at being rescued. It was him—Hector.

Hector. A name he had come to loathe in the darkness of his thoughts and in the silent nights he had laid awake in mental agony. His parents were gone because of that name, and his mouth turned upward in a grim smile as he thought of what would happen to that name if he ever got his hands on it. Oh, yes. He would make sure that the hated name would never again be spoken; it would be blotted out of history by his own two hands. Gracefully, the red-haired man lifted up his hands and stared at them in grim pleasure. With these two hands, Hector would give up his life as he had once done to the red-haired man's family.

The man could not let this chance go by; he just could not stand the thought of having his victim so close, and yet, not be able to reach it. He clenched his hands, and yelled at the guard outside of his prison. "Hey, you! Let me out of here!"

The guard seemed surprised to hear sound coming from inside the jail walls. "What?" he asked, addressing the scarlet-haired man.

"Look," explained the man through clenched teeth. "Marquess Ostia's brother is among your enemy, right?" He waited for the guard to consent, and then continued. "Let me out, and I'll help you. But I must have the brother!" His eyes searched out the dark armor and axe of his prey. "I've a score to settle with house Ostia."

The guard followed his gaze, but shook his head negatively. "Do you think me a fool? You work for house Caelin! I cannot trust your word!"

By this time, the red-haired man had grown very impatient. "Then I'll have to break down this door and go through you!" he cried, angrily brandishing his sword.

Before the guard had any time to react, the monk grabbed his companion's arm. "No, Lord Raven! You musn't! You cannot betray your debt to Marquess Caelin!"

Raven gruffly waved off his friend's pleas. "Shut up, Lucius!" he exclaimed. Then he turned once again to face the guard, who seemed to be getting a bit nervous around such a hot-headed inmate. "How about it?"

Quickly, the guard made up his mind to not die. "Very well," he agreed as he unlocked the prison door. "Get out!" Raven stepped out eagerly, but the guard had one more thing to say. "Remember, if you betray us, your companion dies."

Raven nodded, giving the guard a sardonic grin. "Then you die next."

The guard did not reply.

* * *

Fighting indoors was so much different from hunting outdoors in the forest. Rebecca loved the outdoors, breathing the cool, fresh air, and feeling the warm sun on her back, but indoors was another story. She had never thought of herself as a girl who suffered from claustrophobia, since she didn't mind working in tiny spaces when cooking with her mother; however, this battle was swiftly changing her analysis.

First, there was the din of battle—axes, swords, lances, and bows all clashing together in a cacophony of sound that reverberated from the castle walls. Then, there were the castle walls themselves. They seemed to be closing in, making it harder to move around. Here and there, a splatter of blood decorated the patch of wall, making them seem more menacing. Rebecca felt it very hard to breathe because of the stench that was quickly rising from the casualties, and suddenly wished to run out and breathe in the wonderful air of Elibe.

And yet, she couldn't. She wouldn't. They had come so far to rescuing the marquess that she would not just run away now. She relaxed her guard, trusting in her companions to protect her for the time being, and slowly started to breathe in and out. In and out. In. Out. It was a simple exercise that she had learned as a child when she had been learning how to hunt with Dan. Oh, how she missed him. There was never a day that went by when she didn't think about him, but now was not the time.

In and out. In and out. Rebecca felt her tense muscles start to relax, and eventually, she felt well enough to fight. Now, all she had to do was find an enemy…

Her eyes scanned the battlefield. There was Erk attacking an archer with…fire? Her eyes widened in disbelief and wonder, and she stopped her search to watch the miraculous even take place. Erk was standing with his feet a little distance apart, and holding a tome in one hand. Rebecca stared at the book intently, but could not decipher what it said on the cover. She eventually gave up on looking at the book, and turned her full attention to what Erk was doing now.

Over the shouting and dying groans, Rebecca thought she could hear Erk saying something. His mouth was definitely moving, but none of his comrades were around. He couldn't be talking to anyone, so what was he—

Suddenly, a burst of flame appeared in the mage's upraised hand, scaring the enemy archer as much as Rebecca. Unfortunately for the enemy archer, the flame was aimed at him.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Rebecca stood stunned, staring at the charbroiled corpse that lay before Erk. She would never, ever want to fight an enemy who used magic that strong. Even though, she was bothered a great deal by this kind of warcraft, Erk just nodded as if congratulating himself, and then walked off to find another enemy.

How long Rebecca kept fighting was a mystery to her. She notched and fired arrows, never missing an enemy. She should have been ecstatic at such success, but a thought kept nagging at the back of her mind. _Wil._

The green-haired archer shook her head, partly in anger, and partly in dismay. How dare he come back just to turn her world upside down! He had no right to--!

Just as suddenly as her anger had flared up, it melted back down. Of course he had every right. He hadn't done anything to intentionally hurt her, had he? Unless… Rebecca shut her eyes, as if that would protect her from her relentless thoughts. Had she done something in the past to hurt him? Had he gone away, not because of an adventurous spirit, but…because of her?

No. Rebecca felt tears pricking at the back of her eyes. That couldn't be the reason… It just couldn't. She opened her eyes, and searched for something—anything—that could get her mind off of Wil. However, nothing appeared in front of her. It was as if the castle that had been so full of enemies just a little while ago, had been emptied of both friend and foe. Straining her ears, she could hear the screech of what sounded like an iron door being opened and voices. Desperate to find someone, whether he be friendly or not, she ran toward the sounds.

* * *

The first sight that greeted Rebecca was the color of blood. A man with blood-colored hair had his back turned to her, and was talking in a hushed voice to a troubadour. Priscilla. The archer sighed in relief in the knowledge that these were allies, but she had never seen the man before. Curiosity overcame good sense, and she walked quietly forward without hailing Priscilla. _I'm sure they see me…_

Rebecca got as close as a few steps away from the man before he whirled around and held his sword to her neck. As would be expected of someone who had a sword ready to slice through them, she froze and stared at his face in terror.

Priscilla yelled, "Ray!" and only then did the man sheathe his sword. Rebecca let out the breath she had been holding, and smiled at Priscilla. The troubadour smiled back and trotted away on her chestnut-colored mare. That left Rebecca and the man with blood-colored hair alone together.

The archer tried to smile, but the feel of the cold iron sword still lingered in her mind. However, it didn't look like the man would break the silence, so Rebecca chose to take the initiative.

"Um… So… Your name's Ray? I—"

"Raven."

"……Oh, OK… …" She didn't know what else to say, so she gave him a weak smile and scampered off, feeling his gaze burn into her back. _He's kind of cute…but so cold!_ In the deep recesses of her mind, she had a feeling that maybe Wil wouldn't be haunting her dreams much anymore, but she couldn't shake off a slight feeling of guilt.

Clenching her hands, Rebecca tried to reason with herself. _It's not like I flirted with him or anything! _And yet, the guilt stayed.

* * *

The battle was over before Rebecca knew it, and now they were all standing in the throne room frantically searching for any sign of Lyn's grandfather. Lyn looked like she was about to go into hysterics at any moment as the search proceeded.

"Grandfather! Grandfather!"

Eliwood glanced at Lyn, compassion and concern etched on his face. "Lord Hausen?" he called. "Where are you?"

"Hey!" The room grew deathly still as everyone turned to look at Hector, who was standing near the throne and pointing at it. "Here, on the throne… It's—"

_Blood!_ Rebecca gasped, and Serra chose this moment to run around the room in panic. It took Hector and all the cavaliers to wrestle her to the ground and keep her quiet.

Lyn broke the thick silence. "Blood?" He voice was steady and calm, but her trembling hands and bright teal eyes revealed the pain she was feeling. "No… No!" She continued to stare at the stain as if it could tell her where her grandfather was now.

Eliwood came up and put his hand on her shoulder in sympathy. "He…He might only be injured…" whispered the Pheraen lordling. "Come on. Let's go find him, OK?"

The Caelin princess nodded mutely, and put her head on Eliwood's shoulder. His eyes widened at this close gesture, but he made no move to stop her. In fact, he brought his other hand up, hesitated, and gently brought it down on her back, moving them even closer together.

Matthew with his sharp eyes, spotted a figure in the shadows, and exclaimed, "Over there! There's someone there!" He pointed at a dimly-lit corner of the throne room.

Eliwood and Lyn hastily broke apart, both blushing. Carefully avoiding the other's eyes, they turned to face the direction that Matthew was pointing in.

Ever the direct one, Hector commanded whoever it was to: "Show yourself!"

A woman with cherry red hair and bright eyes to match slowly walked out from the darkness. Half of her face was beneath that startlingly red hair, but Rebecca could tell that this was a woman who was intelligent and crafty. She had a long yellow cape, a violet tunic, and tan leather boots on that somehow reminded Rebecca of Matthew… Or perhaps it was just the way the woman carried herself. The one eye that was visible sparkled with intelligence and hidden knowledge, and her mouth was curved upward in a half-smile. It was the expression of Matthew—the expression of a master spy.

Hector had a half-pleased, half-shocked expression on his face. "You… Leila!"

The woman—Leila—bowed low with a flourish. "Yes, it's me, Lord Hector. It's been a long time."

Eliwood stared at Leila, then Hector, then back to Leila. "You know her?" he asked Hector.

The Ostian lordling nodded. "Yes, her name's Leila. She…works for Ostia…" After an unbelieving look from his friend, Hector sighed. "Fine. She's a spy."

Leila smiled in bemusement, and then chose this opportunity to remind them of the situation at hand. "Lord Eliwood or Pherae and Lady Lyndis of Caelin, correct? I am Leila." Here, she bowed again, though with not as much ceremony as before. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." Then she turned her gaze to Lyn. "Lady Lyndis, Marquess Caelin is back there receiving treatment."

At this news, Lyn practically jumped for joy. "My grandfather is safe!! Isn't he?!"

Leila nodded, trying to not laugh. "…His life is yet his own."

It didn't seem that Lyn had heard anything though, because before Leila could finish her statement, the Caelin lordling was off praising. "Ah! Father Sky and Mother Earth! I thank you for your mercy!!"

Eliwood smiled in his enjoyment at seeing Lyn so happy, but then his attention was diverted by Leila's next words: "Hector, I'm following your brother's orders. I'm investigating Marquess Pherae's disappearance."

The red-haired lord snapped to attention. "My father? What about my father??"

Leila's expression betrayed nothing, and in a neutral voice, she said, "Come with me. We should talk in private." She pointed at Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and Krista. "You four. Please follow me."

The lordlings and tactician obliged. Before they completely disappeared into the next room, though, Krista pointed to her communicator and nodded slightly. Rebecca smiled, believing that that meant the rest of the group should listen in on the explanation as well.

* * *

"Let me start with my conclusion." It was Leila's low alto, a soothing voice, and one that would blend well in a crowd. Rebecca glanced at Matthew. He had the weirdest, wistful look on his face—the look of one hopelessly infatuated. Rebecca giggled, and continued to listen, carefully avoiding the glare that Matthew shot at her.

Silence. And then Leila spoke again. "Marquess Pherae…is alive."

Smiles broke out on everyone's faces, and Serra shouted out loud before anyone could stop her. Fortunately, her squeal was covered up by Hector's loud booming voice. "Whooooo! Eliwood!"

Lyn also piped up congratulations. "That's wonderful!"

Always the voice of reason and reality, Eliwood had to ask if Leila was sure.

Rebecca could picture Leila nodding. "I've been posing as a member of the Black Fang for several months." Several glances of fear and unbelief were exchanged, and then Rebecca went back to listening. "That's where I got this information. I believe it is true." Leila finished.

Eliwood seemed to be filled with the same uneasiness. "Black Fang… They're the assassins guild that Erik spoke of."

"Yes," affirmed Leila. "We've known of their existence for quite some time."

"Explain." Hector demanded. Rebecca had to stifle a laugh. Hector was not known for his patience.

Leila gave a small sigh, and explained. "The Black Fang is a guild of assassins founded about ten years ago by Brendan Reed. They're based in Bern. Their arms reached quickly in several other countries. Originally," she took a deep breath. "Originally they targeted only nobles who abused their positions. The masses saw them as chivalrous, defenders of the common man, and their activities found wide support."

"Chivalrous…" muttered Krista. Heavy, brooding silence followed, then Leila continued.

"Then about a year ago, Brendan got married again. Black Fang's operations have slowly changed since then. Now, they'll take on any target, no matter how difficult, as long as they're paid. And they're no longer killing only criminals; anyone is a fair target."

Again, this new revelation was greeted with absolute silence as everyone slowly digested it.

Lyn broke in with a voice tinged with trembling determination. "Is…Is this Black Fang responsible for what's happened to my grandfather?"

Rebecca listened harder, wishing that she had a communicator in her other ear as well. "Yes," was Leila's answer. "We've learned of a mystery man named Nergal, behind Reed's wife. It seems the Black Fang is performing secret tasks across Lycia for Nergal. Nergal's trusted retainer Ephidel is with Marquess Laus." At the mention of Ephidel's name, a ripple of anger flowed through Rebecca and her companions. "He manipulated Laus into hatching the rebellion plot against Ostia. The first to answer Laus's call for rebellion was… Marquess Santaruz."

Krista's voice shook with sadness. "Lord Helman… Why would you…"

"Next was Lord Elbert, Marquess Pherae."

A sharp intake of breath was heard, and then Eliwood gasped out, "You're telling me, Leila, that my father endorsed this plan??"

"I cannot say." Leila quickly answered to soothe Eliwood. "I do know that he is with Marquess Laus currently. In a place called…the Dragon's Gate." Rebecca stared at the faces of her allies to see if anyone knew what the Dragon Gate was, but everyone looked as clueless as she did.

Fortunately for Rebecca's curiosity, Lyn asked, "Dragon's Gate? Where is that?"

"On an isle called Valor, off the southern coast of Lycia." Then there was a brief space of silence, and Leila apologized. "I'm afraid that is all the information I have."

Hector slammed his fist against something, making a huge cracking noise. "Of all places to be! Valor! #$!!" Rebecca winced at hearing such language, but didn't stop listening in case more information might be revealed.

"What kind of place is it?" asked Krista, hoping to get more information as well.

Eliwood sighed, and in a too-calm, too-quiet voice, answered Krista's question. "It's said that those who step on the island never return. The common fold call it the Dread Isle, but if that's where my father is…" He took a breath to steady himself. "I will go and find him, and this 'Dragon's Gate' too!"

Of course, since Eliwood was going, Hector was going to go, and Krista offered her services as well. Lyn did not want to be left behind either, but Eliwood tried to reason with her.

"Lyndis, I appreciate your kindness, but… Shouldn't you stay with Marquess Caelin?"

Lyn's reply held a tinge of hurt in them, as if Eliwood wanting her to stay here cut her deeply. "Laus must be stopped. Otherwise, they might target my grandfather again. I also wish to help you father, Eliwood, because losing a parent… It's an unbearable pain, and something I'd rather you didn't have to feel yet."

"Lyndis…" Eliwood's voice held many conflicting emotions—gratitude, fear for her safety, and perhaps even a bit of love. "Hector…" he added as an afterthought. "Thank you. You give me strength."

"Don't mention it," was Hector's brusque reply.

Lyn took a little longer to reply. "We're friends. It's what friends so, Eliwood." Friends? Rebecca didn't doubt that they were, but it would have been so much cuter if Lyn thought they were more. The archer sighed. This adventure was turning her into a hopeless romantic—when it came to anyone but herself, of course.

Then Leila's voice was heard once again. "I'm also going to continue searching. Lady Lyndis, I think it would be prudent to let the world think Marquess Caelin is dead."

Rebecca could picture Lyn nodding. "I understand. I'll do that. Thank you."

"No thanks necessary," replied Leila. "Now if you'll excuse me—"

"Leila!" Rebecca almost jumped. Hector could be so loud sometimes…all the time.

"Yes, Lord Hector?"

"Nergal and this…Ephidel?" Hector spat out Ephidel's name like he would a repugnant insect. "What are they like?"

Leila sighed. "I've yet to lay eyes on Nergal, but I've spoken to Ephidel on several occasions." Rebecca shivered involuntarily. "He's…eerie…" continued Leila. "He always wears a cloak that covers his face. And yet…"

"Yes?" encouraged Krista.

"His eyes glow golden…" Leila's voice started to tremble. "You can't miss them. They seem…inhuman."

Rebecca found herself wishing that Wil was here to hold her, but just as quickly as the thought surfaced, she suppressed it. No use in thinking about dreams that would never come true.

* * *

The door to the throne room opened, and everyone jumped up, scrambling to look like they were doing something other than eavesdropping. Leila raised an inquiring eyebrow, but otherwise did not display any hints that she knew they had been listening in on a private conversation.

At this point, the spy would have walked on to continue her assignment if Matthew had not intervened. He hastily sauntered to her side, and grabbed her arm entreatingly. Leila swung around, ready to slap the living daylights out of whoever had grabbed her, but her expression softened when she saw who it was. Rebecca thought she could see a twinkle of laughter in Leila's eyes as Matthew led the spy out into the hallway. The archer giggled in girlish delight as she watched the two walk together. This was perfect, just perfect! _Ooooh! Matthew will never hear the end of it from me!_

* * *

They had slipped out from the notice of prying ears and eyes. Matthew sighed in relief, and stared at Leila—his Leila, or, at least, maybe someday his Leila. She had never looked more beautiful than when she was out on the field, he mused. Her bright red hair contrasted with the dark purple of her tunic, which, in turn, was contrasted by the brightness of her yellow cape. What an eye-catching beauty! Matthew smiled. But, of course, her whole job was to be inconspicuous, so that meant her skill had to be great enough to remain unnoticed. He felt his heart almost bursting with—love?

Matthew flushed a little, not noticeable under normal circumstances, but Leila was a trained spy. She noticed everything, and she did not miss this. Smiling, she took this time to gaze at him. He looked a bit older and more mature, but his ready smile and joking spirit were still there. He had not lost any of his old craftiness either, as was apparent by the way he stood—always on guard and ready to "disappear" at a moment's notice. She sighed and laid her head down on his shoulder. This time, she hoped that he wouldn't disappear so quickly…

The silence grew until Matthew started getting nervous. What was he supposed to say?? None of his training had ever prepared him for this! He was used to running away from pressuring situations! Still, as the silence intensified, Matthew spoke.

"S-So…" He started.

Leila laughed, a bright and cheery laugh that seemed to echo all down the hall. "Great pick-up line, Matt!" She laughed again, and nudged him in the side. "So, I take it that you heard everything that was said during the private meeting?"

Matthew nodded. "Yep. Krista has these new communicators that allow us to hear what's being said without actually being present ourselves. Saves us a bunch of precious time." He smiled, glad to have been able to tell Leila something of importance.

"Do you think I could use one?" asked Leila, her voice getting quite all of a sudden.

"Um…I don't know…" Startled at her strange silence, Matthew hugged her close. "Why? Is something wrong? Do you need help? Is it your mission? I—"

Leila laughed quietly, and snuggled next to Matthew. "Yeah… I would never admit it, but the Black Fang scares me…" She waggled a finger at him, mock glaring. "And don't you dare go tell Hector! Because then he would tell his brother, and I would get in trouble! My feelings aren't worth my job, you know!"

Matthew couldn't help but smile at her bravery. "Well, I feel special for having been told such secret information, my little spy!" They both laughed, their high spirits coming back again. "But seriously—"

"Matt!" laughed Leila. "You've never been serious in your life! What makes you think I'd believe you're being serious now?"

"Because…" began Matthew. "Someone I love very much is involved."

Leila was shocked into silence, and stared into Matthew's eyes, disbelief and faint hope written on her face. What she saw there caused her to giggle and kiss him on the cheek. "Matthew! I didn't know you cared so much!" Again, she giggled, and pranced away from him to lean on the wall.

Matthew sighed. "You still think I'm joking??" He sighed again in resignation, and muttered something under his breath.

"What was that, Matt? I didn't hear you!" taunted Leila, her eyes alight with amusement.

"I said…" Matthew clenched his hands, went over to Leila, and put a hand under her chin, forcing her to look into his determined eyes. "I said that I think you're beautiful, Leila. I said that I want to be with you. I said that I want you to meet my parents! I said that I want you to marry--!" His hand flew up to cover his mouth, cursing himself for letting his mouth get the best of him. Had he said it? Had he really said it??

Blushing, Leila stood there with her mouth open. "I-I… Matthew…"

Matthew stepped away, blushing as well. "I-I'm sorry, Leila. I h-have to go now… Do good on your mission, OK?" He turned around and swiftly scampered away into the darkness, shaking his head and muttering how dumb he was.

Leila did not move as she thought about Matthew's statements. Had he really asked her to marry him? A giddy feeling of exhilaration filled her whole being and made her laugh out loud. _Yes, Matthew! Oh, yes I will!_ Like a child, she skipped off to finish her assignment. The faster she could get it done, the faster she would be with Matt. _Wait for me, Matthew! I won't take long! Promise!_

* * *

Me: WHY???????

Rebecca: What are you talking about?? Crazy authoress…

Me: But don't you know what happens to her? How can you not be crying?? (OO)

Rebecca: No, I don't know what happens, but stop—

Me: T-Then you c-can't understand!! ::starts crying more::

Rebecca: ::sigh:: Oh my gosh! You're so weird!!

Me: Waaah…::is still crying::

Rebecca: ::even bigger sigh:: Well, if you won't stop crying, then I'll have to declare this chapter over and done with.

Me: ::goes into her room to cry some more::

Rebecca: Wimp. Oh, well. At least there was SOME romance in this chapter! About time, too! You only made people wait a few MONTHS!!

Me: ::is in her room crying, so she can't hear what her evil muse is saying::

Rebecca: …Fine. You can run, but you can't hide! ::evil laughter…OF DOOM::

* * *

Random Fact #1: OMG! School is evil. That is a fact, and nobody can ever persuade me otherwise. Hmph. School is the reason why I haven't been on fanfiction for soo long, so sorry about people waiting so freakishly long…TT. ::sigh:: If you want to talk about anything, and can't wait for me to reply to your comments, find me on Deviantart. My username's gentleness28. ::nervous smile:: That's where I've been instead of fanfiction…hehehe…::sweatdrop:: Or…I guess email if you don't have a Deviantart account…

Random Fact #2: I got Karel instead of Harken, so that means poor Isadora might not get paired up after all, unless… You know…I'm just going to make Harken appear instead of Karel in my story…hehe…XP

Random Fact #3: Um…There is no random fact #3. I just wanted to balance it out with my random question #3. XD

Random Question #1: Why can't little brothers be quiet???? Oh, wait… This question is supposed to be about Fire Emblem, isn't it? OK…Um… Here's one! My cousin actually asked me this, and I didn't know the answer for sure, so yeah… On the chapter where you have to protect the Bern prince, and you can obtain Nino and Jaffar… Is it possible to get Maxime (the "sub-boss" that attacks Jaffar)? And, if so, how? Personally, I'm pretty sure you can't get Maxime…but my cousins won't trust me! XP

Random Question #2: I got asked by a reviewer to pair Sain up with somebody, but the only girls that aren't already paired up are Vaida, Ninian, and Krista. I won't let Vaida marry ANYBODY just because…she bothers me. Ninian doesn't have a support with Sain, and I kind of wanted to let her go back to Dragonland with her brother. Krista? Well, I didn't want her to turn into a Mary Sue, so I was planning on letting her stay single. Besides, it would be weird to pair my tactician up with someone, 'cause then she wouldn't be able to look on things without an outside distraction. So… I don't know… Should I pair Sain up with Ninian or Krista? Or let him pair up with an OC?? Or just let him stay single and flirt with everyone?

Random Question #3: Erm…since I don't have Harken… Does anybody have his supports with everyone or his ending with Isadora? ::nervous smile:: Sorry for asking for so much…0.0


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